Jal Mandir, Pawapuri

The Jal Mandir at Pawapuri is one of the holiest of Jain shrines, a white marble temple standing in the middle of a lotus lake, raised on the spot where Lord Mahavira, the twenty-fourth Tirthankara, attained final liberation. Reached by a long causeway across the water, the temple marks the place of Mahavira’s nirvana, observed by Jains across the world at Diwali.

Where Mahavira found liberation

Pawapuri — the “town of sins destroyed” — is where Lord Mahavira, the last of the twenty-four Tirthankaras of the Jain faith, gave his final teaching and attained moksha, liberation from the cycle of birth. So many came to gather the ash of his cremation, it is said, that the earth was dug away and a pond formed, in the midst of which the Jal Mandir was later built.

The temple in the lake

The white marble shrine sits on a platform in the centre of a tank covered with red lotuses, reached by a stone causeway some six hundred feet long. Within, the footprints of Mahavira are enshrined, marking the place of his nirvana, and the temple’s reflection in the still water makes it one of the most serene of pilgrimage sights.

Diwali at Pawapuri

Jains observe Mahavira’s liberation at Diwali, the festival of lights itself held to mark the night the lord passed into moksha, and Pawapuri is the heart of that observance. Pilgrims come from across India and the world to the lake-temple, and the surrounding shrines complete one of the four great Jain pilgrimages of Bihar.

How to reach the temple

• By road: Pawapuri is in Nalanda district, about 35 km from Rajgir and near Bihar Sharif.
• By train: Rajgir and Bihar Sharif are the nearer railheads.
• By air: Patna airport is about 90 km away.

Frequently Asked Questions

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