Muktagiri Jain Tirth (Temple) is located in Thopoda, Gram Panchayat under Bhainsdehi Tehsil of Betul district in Madhya Pradesh, which is considered a famous site of pilgrimage and Jain religion. This place is about 102 km from the district headquarters.
This place is very close to the border of Maharashtra. This area belongs to the Satpura Ranges, there are a total of 54 ancient Jain temples in this mountainous region, of which 52 temples are located on the hill and 2 temples are built at the foot of the mountain.
Temple number 10 in this region is a very ancient temple known as Mendhagiri. Which is built in the belly of the hill, in which sits the idol of Lord Shantinath.
Here in the temple, the ancient idol of Lord Parshvanath ji is worshiped with saptphan.
This place, full of natural beauty, serene atmosphere and devotion, feels a different divine feeling.
Muktagiri Jain Temple located in dense forests of Satpura
Because the temple is located in the mountainous region, the steps are used to get here. During rainy days the view is amazing and beautiful.
Nestled in the lap of nature, this place is embellished with a beautiful waterfall that drops from a height of 250 feet, in which the water flow remains from July to January.
Known for its religious influence and natural beauty, as beautiful and sacred as this place is, its history goes back so far. Most of the Jain temples built in this area of Siddha date back to around the 16th century.
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Due to the dense forests of Satpura, many species of animals live but never harmed anyone in this area, this is the pride of Siddha Kshetra.
While there are certainly many beautiful and sacred Jain places and temples all over India. Muktagiri jain temple certainly has a different meaning among them all. But people of the Jain religion have given this place a very important place.
The sacred Jain scriptures tell us that thousands of Jain monks, including Lord Tirthankara Sheetalnath, had attained Nirvana (salvation) by coming to this place. According to folklore, saffron rains in all the Ashtami, Chaudas and Poornima of this region.
Temple opening hours and accommodation facilities
Unlike most temples which are generally open from dawn to dusk, Muktagiri jain temple are only open for darshan in the morning at 6 a.m. at 11 p.m.
After 11 a.m., the doors of all temples are closed and devotees must receive darshan from outside the temple. There are 4 to 5 Dharamshalas around the temple which provide affordable accommodation.
Only purely vegetarian food is served here. The rental of accommodation is very simple (food not included) ranging from 100 to 150 rupees per person per day.
Muktagiri jain temple story
The construction of small Muktagiri Jain temple at this location was initiated around 2,500 years ago by King Shrenik Bimbasara of the Magadha Empire, who was a contemporary of Lord Mahavira.
But this place actually gained a lot of importance during the reign of an unknown king in the 16th century.
It is believed that he went to great lengths to beautify this place and succeeded in building around 52 temples located very close to each other.
Official Website : http://muktagiri.org/
Attractions / hot spots in Muktagiri Siddhakshetra
Many temples built in the middle of the mountainous area and the natural beauty are the center of attraction of this region. Each of the 52 temples in total here is considered of great importance and auspiciousness by devout Jains. Although temple number 26 is here considered the best and holiest of all temples.
Dedicated to Lord Parshvanath ji, the twenty-third Tirthankara of all Jainism.
This temple is also known as “Bada Mandir”, probably because it is the largest of all the temples here.
All the temples built here have their own significance. In addition, they all have different Jain deities and important religious figures.
There is a waterfall near Temple No. It is one of the best attractions in Muktagiri.
Likewise, this place is surrounded by greenery on all sides and so this waterfall adds to the beauty of this place. However, the pleasure of visiting this waterfall is only possible during the monsoon season (July to January).
How to get to Muktagiri
To get to Muktagiri, you first need to get to Betul, which is connected by main road and rail. There is no direct public or private bus service available from Betul district to reach Muktagiri.
Therefore, first of all, one has to travel by bus to the village of Partawada from here.
The village of Partawada is actually in the Amravati district of Maharashtra, but it is located very close to the border of the Betul district.
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