Pawapuri

Pawapuri (Hindi: पावापुरी) or Pava is a holy site for Jains located in the Nalanda district in the Bihar state of Eastern India. It is located about thirty-eight kilometers from Rajgir and 101 kilometers from Patna, the capital of Bihar.

History

During ancient times about 2600 year ago, Pawapuri was one of twin capital of Mall Mahajanpad which later became the part of Magadha Kingdom and was called "Madyama Pawa" or "Apawapuri", Ajatshatru, who was one of the greatest disciples of Lord Mahavira was the King of Magadh during the lifetime of Mahavir. During the reign of Ajatshatru, Hastipal was the King of Pawapuri. When Lord Mahavira came to Pawapuri he stayed in King Hastipal's "Rajikshala".

Around 5th Century BCE, Mahavira, the last of the twenty-four Tirthankara attained Nirvana or moksha (liberation). He was cremated at Pawapuri, also known as Apapuri (the sinless town). There was a great rush to collect his ashes, with the result that so much soil was removed from the place of his cremation that a pond was created.