Kundalpur
Kundalpur is a town located in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, 35 km from the city of Damoh. It is a historical pilgrimage site for Jains in India. Overview. Kundalpur has a large statue of Rishabhanatha (also known as ""Bade Baba"" and ""Adinath"") on top of the hill. The statue is in a sitting (Padmasana) posture and is 15 feet in height on a 3 feet high simhasana. It was flanked on both sides by Parshvanath images of the same height. In the past it was incorrectly identified as the idol of Mahavira. Niraj Jain of Satna identified  the images of Chakreshwari Devi and Gomukha yaksha in the simhasana and thus established that the idol is in fact of Rishabhanatha. This is also the place of salvation of last Kevli (Antim Kevali) named Shridhar Kevali. According to Alexander Cunningham (1885), there were 51 temples on the hill and 30 on the foot of the hill near the pond known as "Vardhaman Talao". There are 63 temples of various types. A temple called "Jal Mandir" is situated in the middle of this pond. Since then a Samosharan temple was built that commemorated 25th anniversary of the Nirvana of Lord  Mahavira in 1974. A manastambha in the center of the old dharmashala was constructed in 1975. Among all the temples the most famous is the ""Bade Baba"" temple with Adinath/Rishabhnath (affectionately termed "Bade Baba") as the principal deity. The photographs of the "Bade Baba" statue have been widely used in many publications, calendars and posters. The Indian jain monk Acharya Vidyasagar has been the main source of inspiration for the construction and development of the new main temple and some of the recent structures at Kundalpur. He is often referred to as ""Chhote Baba"" in relation to the Bade  Baba image. Construction of a massive and spacious new Bade Baba temple was initiated in 1999 after consulting architectural and religious experts. The statue of Adinath was transferred to the sanctum of the new structure on 15 January 2006. The new temple will be in the classical Nagar style with some elements of the modern Rajasthani architecture. History. The old Bade Baba Temple was the oldest temple at Kundalpur, estimated to date from the 6th century. It was enclosed within a compound on top of the hill. According to an inscription in the temple of Vikram Samvat 1757, the temple  was renovated by the disciples of Bhattaraka Surendrakirti of Mulasangha-Balatkaragana-Sarasvati Gachchha with assistance from Bundela ruler Chhatrasal. In the 24 lines inscription of time of "Maharaja-dhiraja" Sri Chhatra Sala, the line 4 identifies the image as Mahavira and line 8 mentions terms "Jina marga" and "Jina Dharma". The statue of Bade Baba (Lord Adinath) was transferred to a new temple under construction on 17 January 2006. The transfer was a dramatic event involving a confrontation between the district administration and the Jain community that was peacefully resolved. The transfer is narrated and eulogized in a poetic and  lyrical composition "Purudev Stavan" by Aryaka Mridumati Mata and is also described in a book by Suresh Jain Saral. and also in book released in 2018 by MP Chief Minister Chauhan. Two times Major Mahamastabhishek of Badebaba was held in 2001 and 2016 guided by Acharya Vidyasagarji Maharaj. In 2022, a Panchkalyanaka Mahamahotsava was organized during 16 to 23 February. On the concluding day, a Gajarath Pheri was organized which included 24 rathas circumambulating a 900 meter oval track. It was attended by 284 monks and nuns. A total of 2633 images were consecrated. The function was attended by about  500,000 individuals including the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chauhan, central aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, the former chief minister Kamal Nath, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and the Union Industries Minister Piyush Goyal. A four kilometer area around Kundalpur was declared a sacred zone. The new temple, which is now approaching completion, will be 189 feet tall, making it the tallest temple in the Nagara style. It uses four times the amount the stone in cubic feet than Akshardham. Architecture. The old Bade Baba temple was enclosed within a fortified compound 157' by 112' with tall rubble masonry  walls. It included smaller shrines and temples. The main garbhagrih of 16' by 15' contained the 12' by 11' Bade Baba pratima which along with its parikar (including the Parshvanth images) occupied the entire back wall. The Chhaighria and the Bhagbali Pande temples are also enclosed within a walled compound. The temples are square blocks with dome roofs and pinnacles of different sizes. The Bade Baba image was incorrectly identified as Neminatha by Beglar who noted the inscription mounted on wall. Annual fair. The kundalpur fair takes place in month of march, beginning with yearly gathering of Jains, immediately after  Holi and lasts for a fortnight. Location. Nearby cities include Damoh (35 km), Sagar (113 km), Jabalpur (143 km). Nearest railway station is Damoh which is 38 km from Kundalpur bus stand. Nearest airport is Dumna Airport in Jabalpur (150 km).