Nakoda

Nakoda Mewanagar is a village in the Barmer District of Indian state of Rajasthan. The village name is Mewanagar in the Rajasthan state Government records.

This village was known by the names of Nagara, Viramapura and Maheva at different times in the history. When Nakoda Parsva Jain temple was made this village gained popularity by the name of Nakoda. Nakoda is a holy place of the Jains.

Mulnayak is a nearly 58 cm high black-colored idol of Parshva in the lotus position. Today Nakodaji is world-wide famous for miracles at Nakodaji.

History

The ancient name of this Tirth is mentioned as Virampur nagari. Virsen and Nakorsen of the third century of the Vikram era built this temple and His Holiness Jain Acharya Sthulibhadrasuri installed the idol. In course of time, this temple was renovated many times. When Alamshah invaded this place in the year 1280 of the Vikram era (1224 AD), the Jain Sangha kept this idol hidden in the cellar in the Kalidrah village for protection. This temple was again renovated in the fifteenth century. 120 idols were brought here from Kalidrah and this beautiful and miraculous idol was installed here as Mulnayak (main idol of the temple) in the year 1429 of the Vikram era (1373 AD). Jain Acharya Kirtiratnasuri installed the idol Bhairav here. Apart from Nakoda Parsvanatha the other Jain temples here are dedicated to Rishabhadeva and Shantinath.

Nakoda (Stoney)

The Nakoda (also known as Stoney or Îyârhe Nakoda) are an indigenous people in Western Canada and, originally, the United States.

They used to inhabit large parts of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Montana, but their reserves are now located in Alberta and in Saskatchewan where they are scarcely differentiated from the Assiniboine. Through their language they are related to the Dakota and Lakota nations of the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains, part of the large Sioux Nation.

They refer to themselves in their own language as "Nakoda", meaning friend, ally. The name "Stoney" was given them by white explorers, because of their technique of using fire-heated rocks to boil broth in rawhide bowls. They are very closely related to the Assiniboine who are also known as Stone Sioux (from Ojibwe asinii-bwaan).

Alberta's Nakoda First Nation comprises three bands: Bearspaw, Chiniki and Wesley.

The Stoney were "excluded" from Banff National Park between 1890 and 1920. In 2010 they were officially "welcomed back".