✎ The Jal Mandir meaning Water Temple, also known as Apapuri, in Pawapuri, meaning a town without sins, in the Indian state of Bihar, is a highly revered temple dedicated to Lord Mahavira, the 24th Thirthankara (religious preacher of Jainism) and founder of Jain religion, which marks the place of his cremation.
✎ The temple, a famous and sacred pilgrimage centre of Jainism, is located in the holy city of Pawapuri in the Nalanda district in the Ganga basin.
✎ The temple has been built within a tank filled with red colored lotus flowers
✎ It is said that the temple was built by king Nandivardhan, Mahavira’s elder brother.
✎ It is one of the five main temples in Pawapuri, where the “charan Paduka” or foot impression of Mahavira is deified.
✎ According to a local legend after Lord Mahavira attained Nirvana at Pawapuri he was cremated in the village. The place of his cremation became a pilgrimage centre when a large number of pilgrims took out a very large amount of soil from the site, which was considered as sacred ashes of Lord Mahavira, and thus created a huge pit which got filled up with water and became a tank. To commemorate the place of his cremation a temple was built within the tank.
✎ Jal Mandir is built in white marble within the water tank; the tank measures 84 bigha (one bigha is 5 acres, area is 16.8 acres)
✎ The water surface of the lake is covered with lotuses.
✎ This architecturally elegant temple in the form of a “Vimana” or chariot has the footprints of Mahavir for worship.
✎ A 600-foot long (180m) bridge built in stone connects the temple with bank of water tank.
✎ There was great rush among the gathered devotes to collect his ashes resulting in a lake being created in the hollow.
✎ The temple shines bright and sublime during a moonlight night. The pond has many species of fish which are fed by the priests and devotees.
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