Ayodhya

Held in tradition to be the birthplace of several Tirthankaras, Rishabhadeva among them.

The city the Ramayana made famous is, in Jain tradition, something else again: the birthplace of five Tirthankaras — Rishabhadeva, Ajitanatha, Abhinandananatha, Sumatinatha and Anantanatha — more than any other single place in the tradition’s geography.

Rishabhadeva’s association with Ayodhya carries the most weight, since he is also credited with founding the dynasty the city is named for in the Jain telling of its early history, before Rama’s line is conventionally dated. The Jain temples at Ayodhya sit at some remove from the Ram Janmabhoomi site that dominates the city’s modern profile, serving a pilgrimage tradition that predates and runs alongside it.

Written for Jain Times. Corrections are welcome — see sources and licences.