A report on Ashoka, Gujarat and Jainism

A c. 1st century BCE/CE relief from Sanchi, showing Ashoka on his chariot, visiting the Nagas at Ramagrama.

From top and L-R: Sabarmati Ashram, Gujarati attire, Somnath Temple, Rann of Kutch, Dwarkadhish Temple, Statue of Unity, Laxmi Vilas Palace at Vadodara

The hand symbolizes Ahiṃsā, the wheel dharmachakra, the resolve to halt saṃsāra (transmigration).

Ashoka's Major Rock Edict at Junagadh contains inscriptions by Ashoka (fourteen of the Edicts of Ashoka), Rudradaman I and Skandagupta.

Classification of Saṃsāri Jīvas (transmigrating souls) in Jainism

King Ashoka visits Ramagrama, to take relics of the Buddha from the Nagas, but in vain. Southern gateway, Stupa 1, Sanchi.

A modern Zoroastrian Agiary in Western India

Lord Neminatha, Akota Bronzes (7th century)

The Major Rock Edict No.13 of Ashoka, mentions the Greek kings Antiochus, Ptolemy, Antigonus, Magas and Alexander by name, as recipients of his teachings.

Jain miniature painting of 24 tirthankaras, Jaipur, c. 1850

The Aramaic Inscription of Taxila probably mentions Ashoka.

Jain temple painting explaining Anekantavada with Blind men and an elephant

The Saru Maru commemorative inscription seems to mention the presence of Ashoka in the area of Ujjain as he was still a Prince.

A Jain monk in meditation, wearing the characteristic white robe and face covering

Kanaganahalli inscribed panel portraying Asoka with Brahmi label "King Asoka", 1st–3rd century CE.

Bombay Presidency in 1909, northern portion

Nishidhi stone, depicting the vow of sallekhana, 14th century, Karnataka

Stupa of Sanchi. The central stupa was built during the Mauryas, and enlarged during the Sungas, but the decorative gateway is dated to the later dynasty of the Satavahanas.

Mahatma Gandhi picking salt at Dandi beach, South Gujarat ending the Salt satyagraha on 5 April 1930

Praying at the feet of a statue of Bahubali

Illustration of the original Mahabodhi Temple temple built by Asoka at Bodh Gaya. At the center, the Vajrasana, or "Enlightenment Throne of the Buddha", with its supporting columns, being the object of adoration. A Pillar of Ashoka topped by an elephant appears in the right corner. Bharhut relief, 1st century BCE.

Jain worship may include ritual offerings and recitals.

The rediscovered Vajrasana, or "Enlightenment Throne of the Buddha", at the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya. It was built by Ashoka to commemorate the enlightenment of the Buddha, about two hundred years before him.

Celebrating Das Lakshana (Paryushana), Jain Center of America, New York City

Ashoka and Monk Moggaliputta-Tissa at the Third Buddhist Council. Nava Jetavana, Shravasti.

Swarnim Sankul 2, Office of Gujarat Government

The birth of Mahavira, from the Kalpa Sūtra (c.1375–1400 CE)

A king - most probably Ashoka - with his two queens and three attendants, in a relief at Sanchi. The king's identification with Ashoka is suggested by a similar relief at Kanaganahalli, which bears his name.

Ashoka with his queen, at Kanaganahalli near Sannati, 1st–3rd century CE. The relief bears the inscription "Rāya Asoko" (𑀭𑀸𑀬 𑀅𑀲𑁄𑀓𑁄, "King Ashoka") in Brahmi script. It depicts the king with his queen, two attendants bearing fly-whisks, and one attendant bearing an umbrella.

Emperor Ashoka and his Queen at the Deer Park. Sanchi relief.

Shown here is the Tata Nano, the world's least expensive car. Sanand, Gujarat, is home to Tata Nano.

A symbol to represent the Jain community was chosen in 1975 as part of the commemoration of the 2,500th anniversary of Mahavira’s nirvana.

The word Upāsaka (𑀉𑀧𑀸𑀲𑀓, "Buddhist lay follower", in the Brahmi script), used by Ashoka in his Minor Rock Edict No.1 to describe his affiliation to Buddhism (circa 258 BCE).

Surat is one of the fastest growing cities in the world.

Rishabhdev, believed to have lived over 592.704×1018 years ago, is considered the traditional founder of Jainism.

Territories "conquered by the Dhamma" according to Major Rock Edict No.13 of Ashoka (260–218 BCE).

The ruins of Gori Jain temples in Nagarparkar, Pakistan, a pilgrimage site before 1947.

Distribution of the Edicts of Ashoka, and location of the contemporary Greek city of Ai-Khanoum.

Astonfield's 11.5 MW solar plant in Gujarat

The Kandahar Edict of Ashoka, a bilingual inscription (in Greek and Aramaic) by King Ashoka, discovered at Kandahar (National Museum of Afghanistan).

The Minor Rock Edict of Maski mentions the author as "Devanampriya Asoka", definitively linking both names, and confirming Ashoka as the author of the famous Edicts.

A c. 1910 painting by Abanindranath Tagore (1871–1951) depicting Ashoka's queen standing in front of the railings of the Buddhist monument at Sanchi (Raisen district, Madhya Pradesh).

Hemchandra acharya with his disciple Kumarpal Raja. He is regarded as the father of the Gujarati language.

The Ashokan pillar at Lumbini, Nepal, Buddha's birthplace

Depection of Shrimad Rajchandra writing Atmasiddhi in single sitting of 1.5 hrs, one of the longest Gujarati poetry based on Jain philosophy.

The Diamond throne at the Mahabodhi Temple, attributed to Ashoka

An Asiatic lion family, which occurs in and around Gir National Park

Mauryan ringstone, with standing goddess. Northwest Pakistan. 3rd century BCE. British Museum

Saavira Kambada Basadi, Moodbidri, Karnataka

Rampurva bull capital, detail of the abacus, with two "flame palmettes" framing a lotus surrounded by small rosette flowers.

Striped hyena at the Gir Forest National Park

Caduceus symbol on a Maurya-era punch-marked coin

Indroda Dinosaur and Fossil Park, Gandhinagar

A punch-marked coin attributed to Ashoka<ref>{{cite book |last=Mitchiner |first=Michael |date=1978 |title=Oriental Coins & Their Values: The Ancient and Classical World 600 B.C. - A.D. 650 |publisher=Hawkins Publications |page=544 |isbn=978-0-9041731-6-1}}</ref>

A Maurya-era silver coin of 1 karshapana, possibly from Ashoka's period, workshop of Mathura. Obverse: Symbols including a sun and an animal Reverse: Symbol Dimensions: 13.92 x 11.75 mm Weight: 3.4 g.

Statue of Unity facing the Sardar Sarovar Dam on the river Narmada in Kevadiya colony

A man in traditional costumes during Tarnetar fair

Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad

The Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar

Campus at Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology, Gandhinagar

The clock tower in Gujarat University, Ahmedabad

Kala Bhavan, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda

The colourful Rann Utsav Festival is held annually in the Rann of Kutch.

People enjoying Raan Utsav at Dhordo, Kutch

Jama Masjid (Friday Mosque, 15th century), Ahmedabad

Statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad

Muhammad ibn Qasim's conquest of Sindh (711-715 CE).
Desert areas (Registan Desert and Thar Desert)
Zunbils
Kingdom of Sindh (c. 632– 712 CE)
Maitraka Kingdom (c.475–c.776 CE)

Emperor Ashoka the Great, the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya, not only ordered his edicts engraved in the rock at Junagadh, but also asked Governor Tusherpha to cut canals from the lake where an earlier Indian governor had built a dam.

- Gujarat

According to 2011 census, the religious makeup in Gujarat was 88.6% Hindu, 9.7% Muslim, 1.0% Jain, 0.5% Christian, 0.1% Sikh, 0.05% Buddhist and 0.03% others.

- Gujarat

This legend about Ashoka's search for a worthy teacher may be aimed at explaining why Ashoka did not adopt Jainism, another major contemporary faith that advocates non-violence and compassion.

- Ashoka

Jain tradition states that Chandragupta Maurya (322–298 BCE), the founder of the Mauryan Empire and grandfather of Ashoka, became a monk and disciple of Jain ascetic Bhadrabahu in the later part of his life.

- Jainism

Shrimad Rajchandra, a mystic, poet and philosopher revered amongst some Jains in Gujarat is believed to have attained jatismaran gnana (ability to recollect past lives) at the age of seven.

- Jainism

The Girnar inscription of Rudradaman records that during the rule of Ashoka, a Yavana Governor was in charge in the area of Girnar, Gujarat, mentioning his role in the construction of a water reservoir.

- Ashoka

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Medieval stone relief at Digambara pilgrimage site Shravanabelagola, Karnataka. It has been interpreted as Bhadrabahu and Chandragupta Maurya, but some disagree.

Chandragupta Maurya

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Ruler of Iron Age South Asia who expanded a geographically-extensive kingdom based in Magadha and founded the Maurya dynasty.

Statue of Shepherd Chandragupta Maurya at Parliament of India

7th-century Bhadrabahu inscription at Shravanabelagola (Sanskrit, Purvahale Kannada script). This is the oldest inscription at the site, and it mentions Bhadrabahu and Prabhacandra. Lewis Rice and Digambara Jains interpret Prabhacandra to be Chandragupta Maurya, while others such as J F Fleet, V. R. Ramachandra Dikshitar, and Svetambara Jains state this interpretation is wrong.

Chandragupta's guru was Chanakya, with whom he studied as a child and with whose counsel he built the Empire. This image is a 1915 artistic portrait of Chanakya.

Chandragupta had defeated the remaining Macedonian satrapies in the northwest of the Indian subcontinent by 317 BCE.

A modern statue depicting Chandragupta Maurya, Laxminarayan Temple, Delhi

Silver punch mark coin of the Maurya empire, with symbols of wheel and elephant (3rd century BCE)

1,300 years Old Shravanabelagola relief shows death of Chandragupta after taking the vow of Sallekhana. Some consider it about the legend of his arrival with Bhadrabahu.

A statue depicting Chandrgupta Maurya (right) with his spiritual mentor Acharya Bhadrabahu at Shravanabelagola.

Chandragupta Maurya having 16 auspicious dreams in Jainism

The Footprints of Chandragupta Maurya on Chandragiri Hill, where Chandragupta (the unifier of India and founder of the Maurya Dynasty) performed Sallekhana.

The Maurya kingdom expanded to become an empire that reached its peak under the reign of his grandson, Ashoka, from 268 BCE to 231 BCE.

Buddhism, Jainism and Ajivika gained prominence alongside Vedic and Brahmanistic traditions, and minority religions such as Zoroastrianism and the Greek pantheon were respected.

In the west, Chandragupta's rule over present-day Gujarat is attested to by Ashoka's inscription in Junagadh.

Madhya Pradesh

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State in central India.

Physical map of Madhya Pradesh village Tumen Ashoknagar

Matang was completely developed and manufactured by Vehicle Factory Jabalpur

Mesolithic rock painting, Bhimbetka rock shelters, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Bateshwar temple complex, Padavli, Morena

Brahma statue with various deities at Amarkantak.

Langur monkey (Semnopithecus dussumieri), Orchha

Tigress with cubs in Kanha Tiger Reserve

Tickell's blue flycatcher, Bandhavgarh National Park

Male nilgais fighting, Lakeshwari, Gwalior district

The River Narmada flows through a gorge of marble rocks in Bhedaghat, Jabalpur

The Shri Ram Ghat on the Shipra River in Ujjain

Betwa in the Ashoknagar District of Madhya Pradesh

Bagh Print Traditional hand block print craft in Bagh.

A man playing flute in Orchha, with a white tilak on his forehead, and holy saffron-coloured clothes.

Sand sculpture by Sudarshan Pattnaik at Bandrabhan near Hoshangabad

Rajiv Gandhi Technical University's main gate

St. Aloysius Senior Secondary School, Jabalpur, established in the year 1868 is among the oldest schools in India

It borders the states of Uttar Pradesh to the northeast, Chhattisgarh to the southeast, Maharashtra to the south, Gujarat to the west, and Rajasthan to the northwest.

Ashoka the greatest of Mauryan rulers brought the region under firmer control.

According to the census of 2011, 90.9% of residents followed Hinduism, while minorities are Muslim (6.6%), Jain (0.8%), Buddhists (0.3%), Christians (0.3%), and Sikhs (0.2%).