First Jain Acharya To Go To Pakistan After Partition
Here’s a story about the first Jain Aacharya to visit Pakistan after 75 years!
It is happening for the first time that a Jain Aacharya (monk) is entering Pakistan, after the partition of India and Pakistan. The 66 year old - Gacchadhadhipati of the Punjab Kesari Vallabhsuri Samuday of Jainism, Aacharya Bhagwant Shree Dharmadhurandar Surishwarji Maharaj Saheb has attained the visa of Pakistan for 1 month. But why is a jain Aacharya going to Pakistan after 75 years of Independence? Let me tell you.
When the 1947 partition happened, Jain Aacharya of Punjab Kesari Shree Vallabhsurishwarji Maharaj was in Pakistan. When things started getting messy, Indian Government and Pakistan officials, all advised Aacharya Shree to leave Pakistan and come to India. He replied that until every Jain has reached India safely, I will not move from here. After a lot of stuggle, finally, on 28th September 1947, everybody reached India safely.
When he was getting ready to leave Gujranwala, Pakistan and come to India, he went to the Samadhi Mandir of his Guru Aacharya Shree Aatmaramsurishwarji Maharaj Saheb do a final Darshan. The Samadhi was in Gujranwala, the place where he had died. Guru Aacharya Shree Aatmaramsurishwarji Maharaj Saheb was a very big monk.
But, he saw a sight that brought tears to his eyes. The Samadhi Mandir was burned by the protestors and they had put it on fire. He left the place and came to India. After this incident, after the partition, no jain monk has ever been to Pakistan. Now it is for the first time, that any Jain Aacharya is visiting Pakistan.
He crossed the Attari-Wagah Border on foot on 21st May 2023, Sunday. He was accompanied with his 3 Shishyas (monks) and around 20 trusted and devoted Shravakas. (Jain Men). Currently, there are 0 jains in Pakistan. The Charan Padukas footprints of Aacharya Shree Aatmaram ji Maharaj Saheb are currently safe in the Lahore Museum.
The reason of Shree Dharmadhurandar Maharaj Saheb going to Pakistan is to take the ‘Charan Padukas’ footprints from the Lahore Museum and establish them in Gujranwala. On 22nd May 2023, Acharya Shree visited the Lahore museum, and did Darshan of the footprints. He also sat there and did Guru Bhakti with all his Shishyas and devotees.
Despite 0 jain population in Pakistan, there are a few derasars in present day. Aacharya Shree will be visiting those too and he will try to attain information about those derasars. It is a big question about who is taking care of the derasars if there are no jains over there. The place where the Samadhi of his Guru Atmaramji is located in Gujranwala was also in a ruined condition.
Acharya Maharaj was told that a police-station had been built there and it had been declared as someone else's samadhi and so, he decided to visit the place. After a month long procedures for the paperwork, visas, and other official documents, he could finally achieve all and go to Pakistan. The 127th death anniversary of Aatmaram ji Maharaj Saheb, falls on 28th May this year. On 28th May he will move the charan padukas to Gujranwala.
