Overview
Where Mahavira attained nirvana and was cremated. The Jal Mandir, a white marble temple, stands in the middle of a lotus tank of about eighty-four bighas, on the spot of the cremation. Sect: Shared between Digambara and Shvetambara.
History
Tradition dates the nirvana to 528 BCE. That is a traditional date, not an archaeologically fixed one. The Jal Mandir itself is very much later.
Spiritual Significance
This is the nirvana kalyanaka of the tirthankara of the historical period, which makes Pawapuri one of the small number of places where Jain sacred history touches datable ground. Jain tradition places the nirvana on the night that is observed as Diwali, and the lamps of that festival are understood in Jain practice to mark the passing of Mahavira's light from the world. The tank is said to have formed where devotees took earth from the cremation site.
Pilgrimage Information
Getting there and getting in. About 19 km from Rajgir and 101 km from Patna, with no climb. Usually visited together with Rajgir and Nalanda on one circuit. 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
- Pawapuri 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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