Jainism outside India

JAINISM ABROAD

Denmark Canada Germany Nepal Pakistan United Kingdom United States of America

Jainism started spreading its tentacles outside India in the middle of 19th century. However its traces could be found there even in the early period.

It is found that Auradhapura a place of pilgrimage in Srilanka islands and an abode of Buddhism  with viharas, was also a place of Jaina Basadis. Further Janakapuri (Mithilanagari) in Nepal were historically the birth place of Bhagawan Sri Neminatha and Sri Mallinatha, the 22nd and 19th Tirthankaras and thus possibly was the bed of Jainism.

Sri Vishvambaranatha Pandyae who was the governor of Orissa has mentioned Leningrad and Tashkent in Russia showed the heritage of Jainism.

Jain saint Muni Manibhadra visited Tashkent. A Jain idol belonging to the 16-17th century was found during excavation in a place called Astrakan near caspian sea of Soviet Union. Dukobarsi, an ethnological group in Russia in 18th century were known for following the principles of Jainism (Peace and Non Violence). It is said that Jainism  was found in specks  in Egypt - Babylon, Alexandria and Greece. The idols, inscriptions, copper plates and picturesque documentations narating the heritage of Jainism are found in the museums of Switzerland, East Gremany, England, America and Denmark.

The ardent followers of Jainism (Digambara, Swethambara, Sthanikavasi, Terapanthi and Oswal) have constructed many temples in Afro-Asian and European countries in the recent past. Kenya, Japan, Canada, West Germany, Britain, Singapore and America.

The beckon of ahimsa and the axioms of Jaina principles have spread all over the globe striving for the cause of humanity.