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Mahavira, also known as Vardhamana, was the twenty-fourth and last Jain <i>Tirthankara</i> (Teaching God). Mahavira was born into a royal family in what is now Bihar, India, in 599 BCE. At the age of 30, he left his home in pursuit of spiritual awakening, and abandoned worldly things, including his clothes, and became a monk. For the next twelve-and-a-half years, Mahavira practiced intense meditation and severe penance, after which he became <i>kevali</i> (omniscient).<br/><br/> The Jain's sacred site of Shatrunjaya contains hundreds of Palitana temples built mostly between the 11th Century and 16th Century CE. The Shatrunjaya Hills were sanctified when Rishabha, the first <i>tirthankara</i> (omniscient Teaching God) of Jainism, gave his first sermon in the temple on the hill top. The ancient history of the hills is also traced to Pundarika Swami, a chief Ganadhara and grandson of Rishabha, who attained salvation here. His shrine located opposite to the main Adinath temple, built by his son Bharata, is also worshiped by pilgrims.
Top - Scenes from the life of Vardhamāna Mahāvīra (right-to-left): Vardhamāna attaining the spirit of world-flight (vairāgya) and the Laukāntikas appearing to remind him to renounce the world and take to dīkshā; Vardhamānagoing to the forest in a palanquin for dīkshā.<br/><br/> Middle - Scenes from the life of Vardhamāna Mahāvīra (left-to-right): Vardhamāna performs dīkshā; Vardhamāna goes out for charyā and partakes of food offered by King Kūla ruler of Kūlagrāma.<br/><br/> Bottom - Scenes from the life of Vardhamāna Mahāvīra (right-to-left): Vardhamāna expends all his karma and does penance; Vardhamāna becomes a kevalī; the devas worship him.
Top - Scene from the life of Krishna, cousin of Neminātha (right-to-left): Baladeva taking the child from the birth chamber; Vasudeva protecting the child with an umbrella; the City Deity (manifested as a bull) showing Baladeva which way to go; the city gate opening by itself; the river Jumna divididing to let Baladeva pass; Baladeva giving the child into the care of Nanda Gopa, and the Nana Gopa's wife taking the child from her husband.<br/><br/> Middle - Krishna playing as a child and the destruction of seven evil spirits dispatched by Kamsa (left-to-right): Devakī, Baladeva and Vasudeva arriving and Devakī giving her son motherly love, milk flowing from her breasts.<br/><br/> Bottom - (right-to-left): Krishna raising Mount Govardhana; Krishna performing trivikrama; Nanda's exit from the village with cowherds and cattle to escape Kamsa; Krishna reassuring Nanda of his strength by lifting a heavy stone column, thus convincing him to return to the village.
Top - A scene from the life of Rishabhadeva: Saudharmendra dances on seeing the Samavasarana.<br/><br/> Centre - Scenes from the life of Vardhamāna (Mahāvīra). King Siddhārta and his wife Priyakārinī: Priyakārinī dreams (left) and then tells the dream to Siddhārta (right).<br/><br/> Bottom - Sachī, wife of Saudharmendra taking the child (Vardhamāna) for janmābhisheka.
Mahavir (Sanskrit; in Kannada and Tamil Arugan), meaning 'Great Hero', traditionally 599–527 BCE, is the name most commonly used to refer to the Indian sage Vardhamana who established what are today considered to be the central tenets of Jainism. According to Jain tradition, he was the 24th and the last Tirthankara. In Tamil, he is referred to as Arugan or Arugadevan. He is also known in texts as Vira or Viraprabhu, Sanmati, Ativira,and Gnatputra. In the Buddhist Pali Canon, he is referred to as Nigantha Nātaputta.