India Post has issue a 5/- stamp on Godi Parshvanath Temple, a famous Jain Temple situated at Pydhonie, Mumbai on 17th April 2012. Hon. Min. of State for Comm. & IT Milind Deora released this stamp in a grand function at Mumbai.
Constructed in 1812 by Moti Shah, a wealthy Jain businessman, Godiji is among the most prominent community temples in the city. The 200 years will be complete on 1stMay 2012, but the programmes started from 14th April 2012. Over a lakh-and-a-half Jain families in the Mumbai city have already served the sweets to celebrate 200 years of this Temple. From next month, they will be able to hear devotional songs by professional singers, lectures by prominent saints and participate in a grand two-km procession to celebrate the occasion. The celebrations will include a grand lunch programme on May 1 for eight lakh Jains. They will not have to come here, since food will be available at all the Jain temples across the city.
The two-storeyed, all-marble structure already boasts around 86 marble idols, two crystal idols, and 76 small silver idols, among others. Named after the 23 Tirthankar of the Jains -Bhagwan Parshvanath - this idol came from a temple in Godipur, Pakistan, thus lending the word “Godiji” to the temple’s prefix.
Hundreds of years ago, after several experiences of miracles and dreams the original idol was installed in Godi village in the desert-region of Tharparkar (now in Pakistan). It is said that just because of this, the idol became renowned as Shree Godi Parshvanath. A number of ancient and impressive installed idols of Godiji Parshvanath are present today. Among them this idol of Godiji Parshvanath in the Pydhuni locality of Bombay is very delightful, miraculous and very ancient.
From the ancient temple of Hamirpur in Rajasthan, this idol was brought to Bombay and installed in Fort in the beginning of the eighteenth century. The fort locality caught a terrible fire in the year 1859 of the vikram era. The fire lasted for 72 hours and caused a ruin worth lakhs of rupees. Therefore, many Jain families of the fort locality came to settle in the Pydhuni locality. Therefore, it was decided to move this idol of Shree Godiji Parshvanath to another place.
In the year 1868 of the vikram era, a splendid Jain temple was built, the splendid idol of Godiji parshvanath was installed in the new temple. Thereafter, on the second floor an idol of Shri Chintamani Parshvanath Bhagavan was installed and thereafter the idol of Shri Sharmila Parshvanath Bhagavan was installed in a separate temple. Thus, three birthdays are observed every year. Recently, keeping the idol of the MULANAYAKA just where it is, the whole temple is renovated with marble from Makrana. Tall pillars, gorgeous peak and dome decorate the temple as if it were a plane of Gods. The Sangha of Shri Vijayadevasuri Gaccha looks well after the administration of this Jina temple.
Five years ago, the temple had eight shikhars. Shikhar is the triangular-shaped sacred symbol situated at the top of a temple. The Jain saints however felt that it would be auspicious to have a nine-shikhar Jain temple. With the guidance and blessings of Acharya Suryoday Sagar ji Maharaj, who had taken shelter at the temple for the months of Chaturmas at that time, the devotees decided to build the nine shikhars, and install a 31-inch idol of Shree Parshvanath.
Finally, on a 31-inch idol of Shree Suvarna Parshvanath Bhagwan made with an alloy of five elements unveiled at the Lord Parshvanath’s Godiji Jain temple in Pydhonie. The idol was made in Palitana in Gujarat, which is the holy place of the Jains. First silver, copper, brass and bronze were used for the molding of the idol. The idol will then be coated with 5 kgs of solid gold.