Dadabari, Pavapuri (Plate)

The plate titled "Dadabari, Pavapuri" features a colonnaded building in the pilgrimage town of Pawapuri, also known as Pavapuri or Apapapuri meaning "the sinless town." Pawapuri in Bihar is revered by Jains because Lord Mahavira—the 24th Tirthankara—attained nirvana (final liberation) here and was cremated at this site. Today it is a major pilgrim centre where devotees flock to worship at the Jal Mandir (Water Temple), which stands in the middle of a lotus-filled tank known as Kamal Sarovar. The surrounding pond and gardens are home to fish and migratory birds, and catching fish is strictly forbidden because of the belief in non-violence and the sanctity of all life. The temple complex at Pawapuri commemorates Mahavira’s nirvana and includes several shrines, including the Samosharan temple and the footprints of Mahavira, as well as the large water temple built by King Nandivardhana. The photograph shows the Dadabari or monastery associated with this complex. The term dadabari usually refers to shrines dedicated to revered Jain Acharyas (teachers), particularly the four Dada Gurus of the Kharatara Gaccha sect; these shrines provide residential quarters for monks and pilgrims. The colonnaded building in the plate likely served as lodging for ascetics and visiting devotees. Its architecture is simple yet functional, with a row of pillars supporting a flat roof, echoing the austerity of Jain monastic life. The broader setting of the building ties into Pawapuri’s importance: as a pilgrimage centre second only to Rajgir in the Nalanda district, Pawapuri attracts thousands of visitors each year, especially during Diwali when the Nirvana Mahotsav is celebrated to mark Mahavira’s final liberation. The water temple, Samosharan, and associated dadabari reflect the integration of sacred space, natural landscape, and monastic facilities that characterizes Jain pilgrimage sites. By capturing the dadabari, the plate provides a visual sense of the infrastructure that supported devotional activity at Pawapuri and illustrates the continuity of monastic traditions in Jainism. It also implicitly underscores core Jain values such as non-violence, austerity, and reverence for teachers, as the building houses monks dedicated to preserving and transmitting Mahavira’s teachings. This context enriches our understanding of the plate beyond its visual elements, situating the seemingly austere structure within the vibrant religious and cultural landscape of Pawapuri.

Summary reviewed by a volunteer editor.