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Jainism started spreading its
tentacles outside India in the middle of 19th century. However its
traces could be found there even in the early period. it is found that
Auradhapura a place of pilgrimage in Srilanka islands and an abode of
Buddhism with viharas, was also a place of Jaina Basadis. Further
Janakapuri (Mithilanagari) in Nepal were historically the birth place
of Bhagawan Sri Neminatha and Sri Mallinatha, the 22nd and 19th
Tirthankaras and thus possibly was the bed of Jainism. Sri
Vishvambaranatha Pandyae who was the governor of Orissa has mentioned
Leningrad and Tashkent in Russia showed the heritage of Jainism. Jain
saint Muni Manibhadra visited Tashkent. A Jain idol belonging to the
16-17th century was found during excavation in a place called Astrakan
near caspian sea of Soviet Union. Dukobarsi, an ethnological group in
Russia in 18th century were known for following the principles of
Jainism (Peace and Non Violence).
It is said that Jainism was found in
specks in Egypt - Babylon, Alexandria and Greece. The idols,
inscriptions, copper plates and picturesque documentations narating the
heritage of Jainism are found in the museums of Switzerland, East
Gremany, England, America and Denmark.
The ardent followers of Jainism
(Digambara, Swethambara, Sthanikavasi, Terapanthi and Oswal) have
constructed many temples in Afro-Asian and European countries in the
recent past. Kenya, Japan, Canada, West Germany, Britain, Singapore
and America. The beckon of ahimsa and the axioms of Jaina principles
have spread all over the globe striving for the cause of
humanity.
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Jainism Abroad