Overview
In the Satpura hills near Barwani, an eighty-four foot standing image of Rishabhanatha carved directly into the hillside in kayotsarga posture. One of the tallest rock-cut statues in India. Sect: Digambara.
History
Dated to the early twelfth century by one source and to the eleventh by another. The disagreement of roughly a century is left standing rather than resolved.
Spiritual Significance
Where the Karnataka Bahubali colossi are free-standing monoliths, Bawangaja is cut into the living rock of the hill itself, which is a different and in some ways more demanding feat. The scale is extraordinary and the setting, at 1,219 metres in the Satpuras, is remote.
Pilgrimage Information
Getting there and getting in. About 8 km from Barwani town, at 1,219 metres. Nearest airport is Indore. Jain temples of this rank commonly prohibit leather articles, restrict photography, and expect bathing before worship. Where this page does not state a restriction, it is because no source documented one for this particular site, not because none applies. Confirm on arrival.
Preservation
Protection status. No ASI or UNESCO designation was found.
Sources
- Bawangaja other
About this page
Researched and written by YatraBeyond from published sources, and not yet confirmed by the temple. Facts here are cross-checked against at least two independent sources, never written from memory, and every source is listed above.
Last reviewed by us: 2026-09-17. Timings, entry rules and access can change without notice; treat anything time-sensitive as a starting point and confirm before you travel.
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