Samadhi of Atmaram Ji

Heritage ignored

This building is divided into three parts. As you go in the main building it houses Atmaramji’s funerary urns. One building was used as a temple and the other one was a residential area. Many artifacts and decorative items from this building were taken to the Lahore museum and you can still see them in the Jain gallery

Somehow, we could attach some numerical value to our heritage and this is the reason it could not be projected and protected. Pakistan has big potential for tourism, as heritage is hidden in every corner, whether you travel to the north or south. The reason is that this region has always been a nucleus of activities and thrones. Whichever rules came to the sub continent they made enormous contributions in the region we received after partition. Yes, Gujranwala is surely one of the gifts we got as Pakistanis. If we talk about Gujranwala, this is a comparatively a new city but settlements existed in this area since long. The foundations of the modern city were laid down in 1758, when Charat Singh constructed a small mud fort at Sirai Kambohaan. With the initial Sikh settlements in Gujranwala, there grew the trend of construction of Gurdwaras, Mandirs (temples) and Havelis. The Havelis of Maharaja Ranjit Singh as well as his ancestors are still found in this city, but not really well maintained. Same is the case with the Gurdawara, Temples and Samadhs. If explored and projected properly, trust me, this city can be one of the biggest hubs in terms of religious tourism in Pakistan. But this can only happen if the government wishes to develop it for this purpose. We have so many cities where there are historic gems hidden but need to be highlighted and discovered. I wish some day we at a government level would adopt a policy and a framework for these places and jewels.

For many years he lived in the Punjab. His fame spread through different parts of the country. Many people of other sects came and discussed with him on matters of religion. He answered their arguments in a mild, courteous and dispassionate manner

Today I am writing about another marvel in Gujranwala. It is said by historians that this is a Jain Mandir. The references of this Mandir are given in different books on Jain religion. The books tell that the building is a Jain Mandir built in memory of a great Jain scholar Shri Atmaramji.

This building is divided into three parts. As you go in the main building it houses Atmaramji’s funerary urns. One building was used as a temple and the other one was a residential area. Many artifacts and decorative items from this building were taken to the Lahore museum and you can still see them in the Jain gallery. The historic books state that the building was constructed beautifully using marble and red tiles. The trauma with this monument was that a few years ago some photographer declared this building as the Samadh of Charat Singh who was Maharaja Ranjeet Singh’s grandfather. This created displeasure among the Jain community. Different steps by the Jain community were taken and the influential also approached UN for clarification of this misunderstanding. The reason I am also highlighting this monument is that people should carry out authentic research on these monuments and then write about them. If we keep creating confusion about our monuments, their real soul will die.

Let me take you in to the interesting history of this personality. Acharya Vijayanand Suri (1837–1896), also known as Atmaramji of Gujranwala, was the first Swetambar Murtipujaka Jain monk in modern times to receive the title of Acharya. He was given the title of Navyug Nirmata (builder of a new era) by his disciple Vallabhsuri. Shri Atmaramji’s father was an army official of Ranjit Singh. He was initiated at the age of sixteen and was given the name of Atmaramji. Atmaram began the study of Jain scriptures along with his fellow ascetics. He died in Gujranwala (now in Pakistan) on 20 May 1896. A memorial shrine dedicated to him was built there.

If we investigate the history we get to know that he was born in the village of Lahara, District Ferozpur (Punjab) on the first of Chaitra Shukla in 1837, now this part is in India. He was Brahma Kshattriya by caste. His father’s name was Ganeshchandra and mother’s, Rupdevi. His father was a soldier in Ranjeet Singh’s army and died fighting when Atmaramji was a small child. Later his mother moved to Hushiarpur where he was brought up by his mother. His mother started working with a family who belonged to Jain religion and so the story of Jainism began. Atmaramji began meeting influential Jain people and scholars while staying there and thus got influenced with the preaching and teachings.

He studied Hindi and arithmetic. At times he used to visit Sthanakvasi Sadhus of the place and began to study about religion. In 1853 CE he was initiated as a Sthanakvasi Sadhu. His intellect was keen. He used to commit to memory 100 verses every day. He had learnt the Shastras from the Sthanakvasi Sadhus, but he began to entertain doubts as regards the interpretation as given by them. Fortunately he began to study Sanskrit grammar and other philosophical and logical works with a pandit. He fearlessly gave up the Sthanakvasi doctrine and came to Ahmadabad in 1875. He was initiated as a Swetamber Sadhu by Buddhivijayji, a Jain Sadhu of the place. In the 1886 CE he went to Palitana, Kathiawar, and stayed there for four months during the rainy season. Then he travelled on foot from Gujarat to the Punjab. During the travel he brought to light the hidden Jain literature. The Jain Bhandars of different places of Rajputana were examined by him. He got many old important manuscripts fairly copied out.

For many years he lived in the Punjab. His fame spread through different parts of the country. Many people of other sects came and discussed with him on matters of religion. He answered their arguments in a mild, courteous and dispassionate manner. His tone was inspiring, and the hearers were at times astonished at his peculiar tact of answering the questions. His ideas were liberal. He was serene and calm of disposition. In 1892 he received an invitation from Chicago to attend the World’s Parliament of Religions. On account of religious and personal restrictions he could not go, but he sent his representative, Mr Virchand Raghavji Gandhi BA, to Chicago to represent Jainism at the parliament.

Many Jain temples were built in the Punjab by his teaching. About 15,000 persons were converted to Jainism by his strenuous efforts. Many pathshalas and libraries were established by him in the districts of the Punjab and in different other parts of the country. Spending his life in doing good deeds he passed away from this world in 1896 CE in Gujranwala (Punjab, Pakistan). His remains were preserved by the disciples and they constructed his Samadh as well. At present this Samadh is being misused and not preserved properly. I request the government to please look into this piece of history and preserve it in a manner that it gives Pakistan a colour of harmony and promotes religious tourism.