Tapa Gaccha
File:Ācarya Jagatcandrasūri.jpg
{{Short description|Monastic order of Śvetāmbara Jainism}}
{{use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}
{{use Indian English|date=January 2016}}{{Jainism}}
Tapa Gaccha is the largest Gaccha (monastic order) of Śvetāmbara Jainism.{{Cite book |last=Glasenapp |first=Helmuth von |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WzEzXDk0v6sC&dq=tapa+gaccha&pg=PA389 |title=Jainism: An Indian Religion of Salvation |date=1999 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publ. |isbn=978-81-208-1376-2 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Truschke |first=Audrey |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7jbCDgAAQBAJ&dq=tapa+gaccha&pg=PT168 |title=Culture of Encounters: Sanskrit at the Mughal Court |date=2017-03-29 |publisher=Random House Publishers India Pvt. Limited |isbn=978-93-86495-06-8 |language=en}} More than half of the existing Jain ascetics belong to the Tapa Gaccha.{{Cite book |last=Flügel |first=Peter |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CIgqBgAAQBAJ&dq=tapa+gaccha&pg=PA360 |title=Studies in Jaina History and Culture: Disputes and Dialogues |date=2006-02-01 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-23552-0 |language=en}} Several successful Sanskrit scholars belonged to Tapa Gaccha, including Hiravijaya, Meghavijaya, Yashovijaya, Vijayanandsuri among others.{{Cite book |last=Truschke |first=Audrey |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ipNNDwAAQBAJ&dq=tapa+gaccha&pg=PT199 |title=The Language Of History: Sanskrit Narratives Of A Muslim Past |date=2021-01-18 |publisher=Penguin Random House India Private Limited |isbn=978-93-5305-000-9 |language=en}} Panyas Bhadrankarvijaya was also a notable monk who came in contact with Acharya Ramchandra Suri before initiation as a monk in Tapa Gaccha.{{Cite book |last=Cort |first=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MDBpq23-0QoC&dq=tapa+gaccha&pg=PA253 |title=Framing the Jina: Narratives of Icons and Idols in Jain History |date=2010-01-21 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-973957-8 |language=en}}
History
Tapa Gaccha was founded by Acharya Jagatchandra Suri in Vikram Samvat 1285 (1228 AD). He was given the title of "Tapa" (i.e., the meditative one) by the ruler of Mewar. This title was applied to the whole group.{{cite book|author=John E. Cort|title=Jains in the World: Religious Values and Ideology in India: Religious Values and Ideology in India|url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=PZk-4HOMzsoC|page=42}}|access-date=6 August 2014|date=22 March 2001|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-803037-9|pages=42–46}}
File:Idol of three prominent Ācaryas from Tapā Gaccha.jpg (left), Jagatcandrasūri (center) & Vijayanand Suri (right)]]
Under Vijayanandsuri's leadership and other monks, the Shwetambara Murtipujak Conference was established in 1893 which reformed mendicant as well as lay religious practices. As a result of this reform, most Shwetambara Jain monks today belong to Tapa Gaccha.
Today, the majority of its followers live in states such as Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Punjab and Rajasthan.{{cite book|last1=von Glasenapp|first1=Helmnuth|title=Jainism: An Indian Religion of Salvation|url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=WzEzXDk0v6sC|page=389}}|page=389}}
=Denominations=
Tapa Gaccha was followed by 21 different samuday, or orders. The sects follow different rituals but they do not have differences about scriptures.
Some of these differences include Tithi (calendar date), veneration of gurus, pilgrimage of Palitana temples during monsoon and Santikaram (a religious text) chanting on Chaturdasi (14th day in each half of month in Jain calendar).{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/2000/07/31/stories/14312133.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140812011401/http://www.thehindu.com/2000/07/31/stories/14312133.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 12, 2014|title=HC order on Jains' worship|place=Mumbai|agency=PTI|work=The Hindu|date=July 30, 2000}}{{cite book|author=Peter Berger|title=The Anthropology of Values: Essays in Honour of Georg Pfeffer|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qSt8YyRKr0wC&pg=PA336|access-date=9 August 2014|year=2010|publisher=Pearson Education India|isbn=978-81-317-2820-8|pages=336–337}}
Up until the time of Nemisuri, there was unity in Tapa Gachcha. In 1935, on Samvatsari, the last day of Paryushan, Ramchandra Suri order observed it on a different day. This became a sectarian issue and Tapa Gaccha separated into 'Be Tithi Paksh or 'two date fraction' and 'Ek Tithi Paksh or 'one date fraction'. Anandji Kalyanji Trust, which manages 1200 Jain temples, unsuccessfully attempted several times to resolve the issue.
Other distinguishing factors include the veneration of gurus using Vasakshep (a sandalwood powder used for worship) between these two fractions. Be tithi fraction believes that Guru or Acharya should be venerated by Navangi Guru Poojan, spreading powder on nine points of the body while the Ek tithi fraction believes that it should be spread on one point of the body, the Ekangi Guru Poojan. Both fractions differ on the pilgrimage of Palitana temples on mount Shatrunjay by laypersons during monsoon season.
See also
References
=Citations=
{{reflist}}
=Sources=
- {{citation |last=Cort |first=John E. |author-link=John E. Cort |title=Jains in the World: Religious Values and Ideology in India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PZk-4HOMzsoC |year=2001 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-803037-9 }}
- {{cite book|last=Jain|first=Kailash Chand|title=Jainism in Rajasthan|year=1963|publisher=Gulabchand Hirachand Doshi}}
- {{cite web|title=The religious leaders of Jain s and their ladder or leadership|url=http://www.jainuniversity.org/PDFs/eng-lib/1.7.pdf}}
- {{cite book|last=Jain|first=Babulal|title=Samagra Jain Chaturmas Suchi|year=2006|publisher=Ujjawal Prakashan Kandivali|location=Mumbai}}
{{Jain Gurus}}
{{Jainism topics}}