Jainism in Goa

Jainism flourished in Goa during the rule of Kadamba dynasty. Broken sculptures of the Jain Tirthankara Suparshvanatha, belonging to the period of the Goan Kadamba ruler Shivachitta Permadi Dev, were discovered in an old Jain temple in Jainkot, Naroa.

Muni Pranamsagar ji (Digambara Jain ascetic) visited Goa in 2015 and gained 150 new followers. It was the first time for a Jain ascetic to set foot in the state in a thousand years. The state then became the place for his Chaturmas of the year 2015.

Demographics

There were 864 Jains in Goa according to the 2001 census: 456 male and 408 female.

History

The ancient Jain temple of Cudnem village dedicated to Lord Rishabhanatha was constructed by Gurjara community in tenth century. It went to ruins in fifteenth century. Broken idols of Tirthankara were discovered during an excavation in 1986 by the directorate of archeology and archives.

Gurjara community also constructed the Jain temple at Narve, Bicholim in 1150 AD. The sculpture of Parshvanatha, the 23rd Tirthankara was discovered in Hindolewada, Narve.

Another ancient Jain temple of twenty-second Tirthankara Neminatha in Bandora, Goa built by King Sripala.

The idols of Tirthankara were also found in Chandreshwar temple in Kothambi village, situated on the right bank of the River Mandovi.

The first Jain sculpture (belonging to the early southern Shilahara) in Salcete, Chandor was discovered by Father Henry Heras during one of his expeditions.