JITO, NGO Unite To Conserve Walled City Heritage, Propose Jain Heritage Walk Covering 35 Temples
This could well be another giant step for the city towards achieving the country’s first Unesco World Heritage City title. In a novel move aimed at generating interest in both religion and heritage, the Jain International Trade Organization (JITO) and City Heritage Centre, an NGO, areworking withCruta Foundation to launch a new 1.25 km long ‘Jain Heritage Walk’ featuring 35 Jain temples in the walled city.
Rajiv Patel, builder and trustee of City Heritage Centre, said, “The idea behind the Jain Heritage Walk is to generateinterestin heritageconservation. The focus is to arouse the new generation’sinterestin the rare temple architecture in the walled city.” “There are over 60 Jain templesin thewalledcity,of these we have listed about 35 of the most significant ones from an architectural heritage perspective. We have plotted the map of thewalkwiththe guidance of experts from JITO and Cruta Foundation,” he added.Patel got hooked to the city’s heritage conservation after he began exploring its rare architectural aesthetics during a heritage walk.
The proposed starting point of the Jain Heritage Walk is Shamla Pashva n at h D e r a s a r at Lambeshvar niPol,Kalupur.Thewalk will conclude at Mahaveer Swami Derasar at Fatasa Pol, Gandhi Road. In one and a half hours, visitors will cover a distance of nearly 1.25 km.
Customized routes
The route includes rare Jain temples built between 200 and 400 years ago. The temples featured in the walk map are Shamla Pashvanath Derasar at Derasar ni Khadki (Lambeshvar ni Pol), Sambhavnath Derasar (Kharakuva ni Pol), Chandraprabhu Derasar (Shantinath ni Pol), Parshwanath Derasar (Shantinath ni Pol), Shantinath Derasar (Shantinath ni Pol), Simandhar Swami Derasar (Simandhar Swami ni Khadki), Shantinath Derasar (Zaveri Pol), Jagvallabh Derasar (Nisha Pol), Sambhavnath Derasar (Chaumukhji ni Khadki) and more.
Hemant Shah, secretary of JITO, said, “The walk is to begin by next month. Presently, detailed survey and documentation of these structures (Jain derasars and upashrayas) on the proposed walk route is under way. Along the main walk route, the explorer would be shown 35 structures. We are also developing two customized walk routes, including 30 structures and 65 heritage structures. These optional routes would be offered on demand.”
The organizations are busy conducting detailed research on the historical, architectural, cultural and social background of these structures under the guidance of experts from respective disciplines. “With the preparation of the base plan, literature noting architectural and historical significance with artistic sketches of heritage structures featured on the walk is being designed,” said Pavesh Patel, Jain walk project coordinator and committee member of JITO.
