Mysuru to host Terapanth acharya after 50 year
Mysuru is hosting an acharya of Terapanth, after half a century. Acharya Shri Mahashraman of Terapanth, who is on a Tri-Nation Ahimsa Yathra — covering India, Nepal, and Bhutan — since 2014, will arrive in Mysuru on November 19. He is the 11th acharya of Terapanth.
It maybe recalled that the 9th acharya Shri Tulsi visited Mysuru in 1969. The 10th acharya Shri Mahapragya had not ventured to South India.
On foot
Vikas Jain of Terapanth Yuvak Parishad said Ahimsa Yathra covers three nations, 20 states and 15,000 km of the journey on foot.
“The Acharya, who completed his Chaturmas at Kumbalgodu in Bengaluru has started his journey towards Mysuru. He will be here on November 19, 20 and 21. He will take out a yatra from T Shetahalli in Srirangapatna taluk, Mandya district, on November 19, up to JSS Medical College in Bannimantapa,” he said.
Jain said, the acharya covers around 16 km per day, on average. “He will start from JSS Medical College and reach Adishwar Vatika in Siddhartha Nagar on November 20.
On the way, he will cross St Philomena’s Church and Kote Anjaneya Swamy temple. On November 21, he will leave Terapanth Bhavan on MG Road and reach Bramha Kumaris in Yelwala, on Hunsur Road. From there, his destination will be Hubballi and he will reach Hyderabad in 2020,” he said.
3 objectives
Rajan Baghmar of Youth Sthanakvasi Jain Sangh said the objectives behind the Ahimsa Yathra are: to promote harmony; to escalate morality; and a movement towards de-addiction.
“The yatra started in 2014 from Red Fort in New Delhi to Nepal, covering Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand. In 2015, the yatra was from Nepal to Guwahati, covering West Bengal, Sikkim, Bhutan, Meghalaya, and Nagaland. The yatra in 2016 was from Guwahati to Kolkata, covering West Bengal, Sikkim, and Bhutan,” he said.
Baghmar said, in 2017, the yatra was from Kolkata to Chennai, covering West Bengal, Orissa, and Andhra Pradesh.
“In 2018, it was from Chennai to Bengaluru, covering Tamil Nadu and Kerala. This year, the Yathra is from Bengaluru to Hyderabad, covering Karnataka and Maharashtra. In 2020, it will be from Hyderabad to Rajasthan, covering Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. In 2021, it will be from Rajasthan to Mumbai, covering Gujarat and Maharashtra,” he said.
Terapanth
Terapanth, a religious sect among Swetembar Jains, is derived from the Sthanakvasi section. Terapanth sub-sect was founded by Swami Bhikkanaji (Bhikshu) Maharaj on June 28, 1760, at Kelwa in the Udaipur district of Rajasthan. He was formerly a Sthanakvasi saint. He had initiation by his Guru Acharya Raghunatha, but he had differences with his Guru on some aspects of Sthanakvasi ascetics.
As Acharya Bhikkanaji laid stress on 13 religious principles — five Mahavratas (great vows); five samitis (regulations); and three Guptis (controls or restraints) — his sub-sect was known as Tera (meaning thirteen)-Pantha.