Shri
Achalagadh Tirth
How to reach: It
is the Fort on the highest summit of the Arvalli hills. The nearest railway station of Abu
Road is at a distance of 37 kilometers. One can go to this tirth via Mt. Abu and Delwara.
There are many buses and private vehicles coming to this tirth. This tirth is at a
distance of 6 kilometers from Mt. Abu and 4 kilometers from Delwara. There is an ascending
road of 400 meters from Achalagadh to the temple. Palki is available for the old and the
weak. Board and lodging provisions are available.
Historicity: To behold the Jaina temples of Achalagadh - seven kilometers
north-east of Delwara, but still on Mount Abu - is an absorbing sight. Pilgrims who take
advantage of taking a room in one of the two dharmashalas should not miss to greet
the rising sun from the upper storey of the renowned Chaumukha shrine that has within its
topmost sanctum four big Jina statues, three of Adinath and one of Shantinath.
In the Delwara temples,
it is the artistically and minutely wrought white marble that demands our attention and
admiration; the Achalagadh shrines. In contrast, abound in works of art cast in metal.
These statues range from the beautiful Jina images occupying the central sanctums to a
variety of small-scale figures representing, in the shrine dedicated to Kunthunath, a samavasarana:
a mythical assembly arena due to be build by the gods whenever a Tirthankar is about
to deliver his first sermon. Some of the bronzes are, thought to be fairly old.
Muni-Jayantavijaya counted 173 Jina images in the Kunthunath temple.
Frequent buses run
between Mount Abu town and Achalagadh.
This is an ancient temple of
Bhagawan Shantinath built by King Kumarpal. On the summit of a hill, there is a temple of
Bhagawan Adishvar. On the tenth day of the bright half of the month of Fagan in the year
1566 of the Vikram era, the large metal idol of Bhagawan Adinath was installed here under
the auspices of Jaykalyansuriji. This is the land of nirvana of the great ascetic Mahatma
Vijayshantisurishvarji. He practiced here great penance and inspired many kings to abstain
from taking flesh and wine and from hunting. A large - size photograph of
Vijayshantisurishvarji is kept at the place of his nirvana. There are also temples of
Bhagawan Shantinath, Bhagawan Kunthunath, and Bhagawan Adinath. They are very ancient and
wonderful. The caves of Gopichand and Bhartuhari, the Bhrugu Ashram, the Mandakini kund
and the Tirthvijay Ashram are delightful.
Trust: Seth Shri
Achalasiji Amarsiji Jain Svetambar Pedhi, Achalagadh, Dist: Shirohi, State : Rajasthan,
India.