Pratishta Mahotsav of five Jain Lords to be held at the age of 206 years old and the oldest of all Jain Temples in the city, Dadawadi Karawan Jain Mandir will be held in the city. The Pratishta Mahotsav will be held for three days from November 26 to 28th.
Pratishta( ceremony by which a murti(Idol) is consecrated) of Lord Adinath Bhagwan (Charan Paduka), Lord Neminath (Charan Paduka), Dada Kushal Gurudev , Bhomiya Maharaj and Padmavati Mata will take place during these three days. Pratishta Mahotsav will be held under the holy guidance of Acharya Shri Abhaysenji Marasaab(Monk) on 28th November at 10.30am.
Dadawadi Karawan Jain Mandir, Karawan where the Pran Pratisha Mahotsav will be held is a 206 years old Jain temple. It is the oldest of all Jain Temples in the city.
More than 15000 Jains and dignitaries from various walks of life are expected to participate during the three days program of the Pratishta Mahotsav.
The Jain Temples in the city have a rich history and Tradition. There are well over 25 Jain Temples in the city. For 3 lakh Jains in the city they have four 100 plus years old Jain Temples. The other three other than the Karwan Dadawadi Temple (206 years) are Koti (146 years), Begum Bazar (196 years) and Tarlagadda (206 years) informed Kushal Kankriya and Sushil Sancheti of the community.
Festivals are a way for the Jains to reaffirm their identity as a group and are internal affairs they are informed.
One of the most spectacular elements of Jain festivals is the procession – Yatra – also called chariot-procession or rath yatra. Statues or pictures of Jain gurus in a small shrine will be placed on top of a chariot and taken out. The chariot will be decorated with flowers.
According to Kushal Kankriya and Sushil Sancheti, a Jain temple is the place of worship for Jains, the followers of Jainism. The Karwan Jain Mandir is located in a sprawling 7 acres of land amidst the lap of nature. Though in the middle of the city, it has a green environment surrounded by it. It also has a Function Hall named Kushal Vatika, which is let out for marriages. It has 30 rooms, beautiful lawns and a garden. It also runs a home for the aged. It is rare for any temple to run a home for the aged. But, this temple has been doing great yeoman service for the aged, upto 40 can be accommodated in this home.
Both Telugu States have many Jain temples such as Jain Mandir, Warangal is the 2,000-year-old Jain temple of Lord Mahaveer and is a famous place of worship for Jains in the country. Amaravati Jain Teerth temple of Shri Padmaprabhu Bhagwan in Alirajpur village is also well known. This temple is about 2000 years old.
Gudivada JainTeerth temple of Shri Parshwanatha Bhagwan is located in Gudivada village in Vijayawada - Machilipatnam route in Krishna district. The idol of the temple is said to be very old, belonging to the 8th century period. Shree Kulpakji Jain Temple the black-colored idol of Lord Bhagawan Adishvar, The Bhagwan Mahaveer 24th tirthankar idol is in Green Zed, a precious stone and this idol has no comparison in the whole world. And is said to belong to the 12 century AD and is a very attractive and unique of its kind.
The Jains have played a very important role in the society and contributed a lot. They are known for their charity works. The moral and intellectual influence of the Jain communities give them a social importance greater than it would result from their mere numbers. They are not only among the businessmen and industrialists, many of the prominent authors, justices, administrators and politicians belong to the Jain community.
The Jains have the highest literacy rate and they enjoy the highest per capita income in India.