2023 - Khartargachha Millennium | Commemorative Coin

The 17th commemorative coin of 2023 was released to mark the Khartargachha Sahastrabdi, completing 1000 years since its foundation by Jainacharya Shri Jineshwar Suri.

Khartargachha Sahastrabdi marks a thousand years of one of the most prominent and ancient Jain monastic traditions, celebrated for its profound spiritual heritage, scholarly excellence, and unwavering commitment to the principles of Jainism. The Khartargachha tradition traces its origins to around the 11th century, when Acharya Jineshwar Suri laid its foundations with the aim of revitalizing Jain teachings and establishing a disciplined path rooted in purity, knowledge, and strict adherence to monastic conduct. Over the centuries, it emerged as a major pillar of the Shvetambara Jain community, influencing religious life, literature, philosophy, and pilgrimage practices across western and northern India.

The Sahastrabdi celebration represents not merely the completion of a millennium but a tribute to an enduring lineage of acharyas, monks, nuns, scholars, and followers who sustained and expanded the tradition. Throughout its history, Khartargachha became synonymous with intellectual depth and scriptural scholarship. Its acharyas produced extensive commentaries, treatises, and works that enriched Jain literature and shaped the understanding of sacred texts. The tradition also played an important role in preserving rare manuscripts and encouraging spiritual study, meditation, and ethical discipline among lay devotees.

Khartargachha’s influence is evident in the many Jain temples, upashrayas, and centres of learning that flourished under its guidance. Several major tirthas associated with this gachha—especially in Rajasthan and Gujarat—became thriving sites of devotion, attracting pilgrims from distant regions. The gachha’s monks were known for their exemplary penance, their dedication to nonviolence, and their role in strengthening community life through discourses, moral instruction, and counsel.

The Sahastrabdi commemoration is an opportunity for the community to reflect on the teachings and values propagated by the tradition. It honours the contributions of great acharyas like Jineshwar Suri, Jinadatt Suri, Jin Chandra Suri II, Vijay Nemisuri, and many others who shaped its spiritual identity. The celebration also reinforces the timeless ideals that have guided Khartargachha for generations: compassion, truth, austerity, learning, and the pursuit of liberation.

Across Jain communities in India and abroad, the thousand-year milestone is marked with devotional programmes, scriptural recitations, cultural events, scholarly seminars, and initiatives aimed at preserving and disseminating Jain knowledge. It encourages renewed commitment to the core values of the faith, especially as they relate to contemporary challenges and the responsibilities of future generations.

Khartargachha Sahastrabdi stands as a testament to the resilience, purity, and spiritual depth of a tradition that has successfully carried forward the light of Jain philosophy for a millennium. Its celebration not only honours a rich past but also inspires a collective vision for the future—one that upholds the eternal principles of ahimsa, self-discipline, wisdom, and inner awakening that lie at the heart of Jainism.

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