Muktagiri Siddha Kshetra
Muktagiri Siddha Kshetra, popularly known as Muktagiri, is extraordinarily beautiful Jain religious destination. While there are certainly many beautiful sacred Jain places and temples all across India, but Muktagiri is surely in different league all together. After all, it brings together 52 beautiful Jain temples in the very lap of scenically beautiful Satpuda Mountain range. It’s indeed a place where spiritual divinity meets Mother Nature to create breathtaking beauty. This unlikely beautiful religious destination is located in Bhainsdehi tehsil of Betul district, very near to the borders of Amravati district of Maharashtra.Jain devotees have accorded immense importance to this place . Sacred Jain scriptures tell us that nearly 3 million Jain monks including Teerthankar Bhagwan Sheetalnath had achieved Nirvana (salvation) at this very place. King Shrenik Bimbasara of Maghdha Empire, who was contemporary of Lord Mahavira, had begun building small Jain temples at this place some 2,500 years ago. But this place really came on its own and acquired immense importance during the reign of relatively unknown king called king Ail Shripal of Elichpur. He is believed to have taken great stride in beautifying this place. There are almost 52 temples each located very much near to each other.
Attractions At Muktagiri Siddha Kshetra
Temples are the main attraction of this region. Each of the 52 temples here is considered as very auspicious by Jain devotees. The temple no 26 though is considered as the main and also the most sacred amongst all temples here. It is dedicated to Lord Parsvanatha, twenty-third Tirthankara of Jainism. This temple is also referred as ‘Bada Mandir’, probably because it is the biggest of all temples here. The rest of 51 temples have their own importance. All of them houses different important Jain gods and religious figures.A breathtaking waterfall located very near to temple no 10. This is undeniably one of the best highlights of Muktagiri. This place is as it is surrounded with immense lush greenery and hence this waterfall is like but an icing on the cake. However, joy of watching this waterfall is possible only during monsoon season (June to September).