Jainism doesn't have a single founder. The truth has been revealed at different times by a tirthankara, which means a teacher who 'makes a ford' i.e. shows the way.
As great omniscient teachers, Tirthankaras accomplished the highest spiritual goal of existence and then teach others how to achieve it. In what Jains call the 'present age' there have been 24 tirthankaras
A Tirthankar is not an incarnation of the God. He is an ordinary soul that is born as a human and attains the states of a Tirthankar as a result of intense practices of penance, equanimity and meditation. As such, the Tirthankar is not defined as an Avatar
Each new tirthankara preaches the same basic Jain philosophy, but they give the Jain way of life subtly different forms in order to suit the age and the culture in which they teach.
There is some historical evidence for the earthly existence of the 23rd tirthankara, Parshva, who lived about 250 years before Mahavira. Bijoliya ParshwaNath Jain temple jaha taap kiya tha bhagwan ne 🙏
In his time four of the five Jain principles of non-violence, truthfulness, not stealing, and not owning things were part of Jainism. Chastity was added by the next tirthankara, Mahavira
The Barli Inscription (obtained from a Bhinaika village 36 miles southeast of Ajmer) belonging perhaps to 5th-4th century B.C. is one of the earliest Jaina inscriptions reported from Rajasthan
According to historian G. H. Ojha, who discovered the inscription in 1912, the inscription contains the line Viraya Bhagavate chaturasiti vase, which can be interpreted as "dedicated to Lord Vira in his 84th year after the Nirvana of Tirthankara Mahavira"
Parshvanatha was born 273 years before Mahavira. Parshvanatha, a tirthankara whom modern Western historians consider a historical figure, lived in about the 8th century BCE.
Mangi-Tungi is a prominent twin-pinnacled peak with plateau in between, located near Tahrabad about 125 km from Nashik, Maharashtra, India. Mangi, 4,343 ft (1,324 m) high above sea level,
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There are numerous temples and is considered sacred in Jainism. It enshrines images of Tirthankaras in several postures including Padmasana and kayotsarga. Sometimes, it is described as Siddha Kshetra, meaning a gateway to the state of enlightenment
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There are numerous caves named after great Tirthankaras such as Mahavira, Rishabhanatha, Shantinatha and Parshvanatha. There are many inscriptions on idols, most of them are not clear due to deterioration with time. Many idol installed in 595 CE(V.S. 651) are here