Jainism in Delhi - Tughlaq Period

Tughlaq Period

Delhi was the location where the Digambara Bhattaraka institution was initiated according to some authors. Bhaṭṭāraka Prabhachandra, who was the disciple of Bhaṭṭāraka Ratnakirti of Ajmer, visited Delhi at the invitation of the lay Jains there. He visited the Muslim ruler Firuz Shah Tughluq, who had a Jain minister named Chand Shah. At Ferozshah's request, he visited his inner courtyard. Until that time, Prabhachandra used to be without clothes, but at Chand Sah's request, he wore a loincloth. Bakhtavar Shah in his Buddhi Prakash writes:

दिल्लि के पातिसाहि भये पेरोजसाहि जब, चान्दौ साह प्रधान भट्टारक प्रभाचन्द्र तब,
आये दिल्ली मांझि वात जीते विद्यावर, साहि रीझि कै करै दरसन अन्तहपुर,
तिह समै लिंगोट लिवाय पुनि चांद विनती उच्चरी
मानि हैं जती जुत वस्त्र हम श्रावक सौगन्द करी ||616||

However Paramanad Shasti has suggested that Prabhachandra must have visited earlier, during the time of b. Tughluq. Prabhachandra's disciples Dhanapal and Bramha Nathuram has described his visit to Delhi. Bahubali Charit states that in a great festival Ratnakirti anointed Prabhachandra. Muhammad had the pleasure of listening to Prabhachandra, who had defeated other scholars in disputations:

तहिं भव्यहिं सुमहोच्छव विहियउ, सिरिरयणकित्ति पट्टेणिहियउ |
महमंद साहिमणुरंजिउ,विज्जहिवाइयमणुभंजिउ ||

Prabhachandra was thus the first Bhattaraka of Delhi in 1385CE When the prashati of the Bhattrakas of Shravanabelagola is recited, other Bhattaraka seats are mentioned, the first among them being Yoginipur (Delhi).

All the Bhattarakas of North India belonging to the Balatkara Gana of Mula Sangh belong to the lineage established by Bhaṭṭāraka Padmanadi, the successor of Prabhachandra.

The Bhaṭṭāraka tradition in Delhi survived until the British rule, and the Shri Parsvanath Jain Mandir temple in Subji mandi is still known as the Bhaṭṭāraka Temple.