New look for Jain Basadi

Moodabidre, Karnataka, Apr 10 (UNI) The famous thousand-pillar Jain Basadi here, popularly known as 'Jain Kashi', has got a facelift, with the first phase of the renovation work completed and the over 575-year-old Basadi is ready to hold a four-day ritual from April 11.

After a gap of over 100 years, the Jain Mutt here had taken up the renovation work of the beautifully carved stone structured Basadi. A sum of Rs 80 lakh had been spent on the ancient 'Tribhuvana Thilaka Choodamani Basadi', which attracted a large number of Jain devotees from all over the country.

Sri Bhattaraka Charukirthi Pattacharyavarya Swamiji of Moodabidre Jain Mutt told UNI here that the Basadi, built in 1431, was last renovated in 1894. Though the renovation work was initiated by the previous seer in 1998, the actual work began only in 2003 with an estimated cost of Rs one crore.

About 80 per cent of the renovation work had been completed. In the first phase, the wooden ceiling in the three-storey structure had been replaced with new teakwood and the roof top had been covered with copper sheets. Work on cleaning the metal statues of the 24 Jain Thirthankaras and others had been completed. Besides, the flooring at Chitradevi and Gadduge Mantap at the Basadi had been relaid with granite.

The pontiff said the second phase of the project included works on walls and floor and it would commence next month. The second phase was expected to be completed in the next two years.

The seer said of the total estimated cost of Rs one crore, the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) had released Rs 32 lakh and the Mutt had collected donations to the tune of Rs 43 lakh. The Department of Tourism had released Rs 4.5 lakh for providing lighting facility to the Basadi, he added.

He said the four-day ritual 'Bimba Shuddhi' (purification of the statues) and 'Dhaama Samprokshana' (purification of the premises) to conclude the renovation of the Basadi would be a low key affair due to the inability to provide accommodation to a large number of devotees.

As part of the ritual, the statue of Chandranatha Swamy would be annointed with 1,008 'Kalashas' on April 13, followed by the annual car festival on April 19 and 20.

UNI MA KK HT1650