1.
Guru Basadi
In the olden times this
Basadi was called Parshwanatha Basadi. As the PATTABHISHEKA ‘coronation’ of the
JAIN DIGAMBER Bhattarakas takes place here, it is called Guru Basadi. Once upon
a time a Digambar Muni VISHNU NANDI went
to the forest for ablution. There were thorns of bamboo and bamboo bushes all
over the area. Returning after ablution he saw a wonderful sight. Side by side,
a cow and a tigress were drinking water from a stone receptacle. The calf of
the cow was sucking from the tigress’ udder, and the young of the tigress was
sucking from the cow’s udder, oblivious of their natural animosity. The Muni,
guessing that there is some virtue about these environs, set to look for its
origin. He was wonderstruck to see a statue of Bhagavan Parshwanatha lying in
the bamboo bushes. He got the bamboos cut down and installed the statue in the
renovated Basadi. The Panchakalyana was solemnized in 714 A. D. That is the
present day Parshwanatha Swamy Basadi. As this Basadi was rediscovered by the
‘Guru’, it came to be known as Guru Basadi.
There is another reason why
it is called Guru Basadi. It is customary for His Holiness Swastishri
Charukeerthi Bhattaraka Panditacharyavarya Swamiji to be coroneted here in the
Chandana Throne when he ascends the holy religious seat. Further, it is known
from an edict here that many yatis have taken deeksha here under the Swamiji
and he used to send them out to spread the Jain religion of Ahimsa. This Basadi
has thus contributed many Gurus who propagated Jainism far and wide, and so it
came to be known as Guru Basadi. The scriptures of Jainism, namely Dhavala,
Jayadhavala and Mahadhavala, are enshrined in this Basadi. Therefore this
Basadi is also called Siddhanta Basadi. It goes to the credit of this Basadi
that these ancient books, the Scriptural Trinity of Jainism, written in palm
leaves are preserved safely here. This is the only available copy of the texts
in India. The Shravakas here tells legends and believe that the Devatas themselves brought these palm leaf
books from Bankapura near Shirsi in the Uttara Kannada District there after
shivamogga uttunga jina chaityalaya Acharya shubhachandra ceremoniously and
installed them here( SCRIPT WRITEN UDAYADITYA 1110-1119 QUEEN RAVI DEVIYAKKA )1120
in this Basadi. The edict on the
Simhapeetha says that the installation of the Moolnayak was solemnized in A. D.
714. Vishnunandi muni period There are 25 unique, unparalleled idols made of
diamond and gold, silver, cat’s eye, emerald, sapphire, coral, crystal, ruby,
agate and such precious jewels. Thousands of devotees throng to this Basadi
daily to have a glimpse of the Holy Siddhanta Books and the precious stone
idols.
The magnificent black stone
idol of Bhagavan Parshwanatha stands in the pose of Khadgasan. This 9-feet idol(total
hight bottom to snake hood 13th feet) is very antique. On the back
of the idol two serpents intertwine themselves and spread their hoods like an
umbrella in semi-circle over the head of the idol. The year in which this idol
was installed on the Simha Peetha is recorded as Shalivahana Shaka 636 which
works out at 714 AD. The edict reveals that the Gadduge Mantap outside was
built by Shravakas like Chola Shetty in A. D. 1538. There is the Ammanavara
Basadi to the left of the Basadi. The beautiful 3-feet idols of 24
Teerthankaras stand splendidly on the jina Peetha. On the left and right shine
the gorgeous idols of Saraswati and Padmavati. On the second floor of the
Basadi there are hundreds of Jain statues.
The Guru Basadi is built to
Vastu structure. There were only chaturasra Garbhagriha, Pradakshina patha and
Ardha Mantap to start with. Then in 1538, the artistically exquisite Navarang,
Sabha Mantap and Mukhamantapas were built. The open Ardha Mantap was closed and
the Pradakshina Patha was rebuilt as to start from the Sabha Mantap itself.
This is a three-storey building. There are independent sanctum sanctorum in the
upper stories also and idols are installed there also. The roofing of the
building is done with copper sheets. The pillars in the Sabha Mantap and Mukha
Mantap exhibit beautiful Vastu carvings. The pillars here resemble the pillars
in the Thousand Pillar Basadi. On the upper parts of the four pillars of the
Sabha Mantap have the carvings of Bhuvaneshwari YAKSHI with thousand-petal
lotus, the Jain eight dikpalakas, measuring scales, and intricate carvings. It
is noteworthy that the embosomed figures show episodes from the Jain Puranas,
scenes depicting the then life styles, and also Ganapati, Garuda and Anjaneya
of the Vedic tradition. The pillars of some other Basadis have also such
carvings and pictures and this gives testimony to the religious harmony of
Moodbidri. This is the distinctive signature of Moodbidri.
The edict on the pillar to
the left of the Gadduge Mantap reads:
shreemat paramagambheera | syaadvaadaamogha laanchanam ||
jeeyaat trailokyanaathasya | shaasanam jinashaasanam ||
swasti shri vijayaabhyudaya shaalivaahana shakavarsha 1460neya
bahudhaanya samvatsarada chaitrashuddha 10ralli shri Charukeerthi
panditadevarugala niroopadinda halavu settee shraavakara sammatadinda gurugala
basadiya paarshwanatha swaamiya mundane mantapakke poorvadalli 22 bhaageyam, 22
bhaageyadalli bhaagyanasetti baliya kaajava cholasettiyarige bhage 6 ee
mantapavannu yatiniroopadinda...
Of all the Basadis here,
Guru Basadi and the Jain Mutt are more important. The edict stipulates that the
right to receive the gandha-prasada and other honors following the nompi, pooja
and abhisheka conducted in all the Basadis here must be given, after Royal
spirituval pattavali (mandalacharya lord mahaveer thirthnkar nirvana onwards
mula sangh desiya gana traditional skyclad successor orange robe teacher Swastishri
Charukeerthi Bhattaraka Panditacharyavarya Mahaswamiji, to the Chowtas, Bangas, Ajilas, Tholas,
Moolas, Konnas, Bhinnalas, Semitas, Ballals and Hegdes in that order.
