WWW.JAINHERITAGECENTRES.COM – Celebrating Jain Heritage… Globally!
Completing 24 Glorious Years in the Service of Jain Dharma Propounded by the 24 Tīrthaṅkaras – 26 May 2002 – 26 May 2026
Bengaluru (Karnataka), 26th May 2026:
A Journey Rooted in Heritage & Devotion – For twenty-four glorious years, Jain Heritage Centres has been passionately working towards documenting, preserving, researching, and promoting the timeless legacy of Jain Dharma and its magnificent heritage traditions. What began as a humble initiative has today evolved into a globally recognised platform connecting scholars, students, researchers, heritage enthusiasts, and devotees across the world.
Guided by the ideals of the 24 Tīrthaṅkaras, the journey continues with the same commitment towards knowledge, preservation, and outreach.
A Year of Research • Discovery • Outreach – The past year has been one of the most vibrant and productive phases in our journey – filled with intensive research, heritage exploration, academic initiatives, field documentation, and meaningful engagement with heritage enthusiasts across India and abroad.
Inspiring Learning Through Jain Art & Architecture – One of the major highlights of the year was the successful organisation of the Certificate Course in Jain Art & Architecture, bringing together 39 participants from India, the USA, Dubai, and China.
Spread across 50 hours of engaging lectures and a three-day field study programme, the course explored Jain temple architecture, iconography and sculpture, inscriptions and epigraphy, cave temples and paintings, heritage centres across various Jain sects and regions, and Jain artefacts preserved in museums across India and the world.
Exploring the Sacred Landscape of Jain Heritage – Extensive field documentation and research journeys were carried out across North Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, covering 46 heritage sites across 12 districts over more than 2,600 kilometres of travel. Special visits were also undertaken to important Jain heritage centres across the hinterland of Tamil Nadu, enriching ongoing research and documentation efforts.
Karnataka Jain Heritage Yatra – A Journey Across Time – Heritage enthusiasts from India, Australia, and the USA came together for a remarkable journey covering 23 heritage sites across 9 districts over nearly 2,000 kilometres. The yatra offered participants an immersive experience into the artistic brilliance, architectural grandeur, spiritual traditions, and living heritage of Jainism in Karnataka.
Bringing Jain Heritage to the World Through Documentaries – As part of our digital outreach initiatives, several important video documentaries were released during the year, including Mahāvīra Darśana, Moni Bhatara Nishidhi at Halebidu, the unique Ambika–Kuṣmāṇḍinī idol at Kechanda in West Bengal, and Jain Tīrthaṅkara idols in a Śiva temple at Dhadaki in West Bengal.
Advancing Research & Scholarship – Jain Heritage Centres continued its academic contributions through important research publications including Jain Theatrical Literature in Kannada, History of Jainism in Karnataka, and Karnataka–Tamil Nadu Relations through Jain Epigraphy.
Preserving Jain Heritage Through Research • Documentation • Education • Outreach
Every journey undertaken, every monument documented, every lecture delivered, and every publication released reflects our continuing mission – preserving and promoting the timeless legacy of Jain Dharma for future generations.
Gratitude & Acknowledgements – We express our heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Priyadarshana Jain, Professor & Head, Department of Jainology, University of Madras.
We also sincerely thank all scholars, mentors, friends, supporters, heritage enthusiasts, and well-wishers across the world whose encouragement and support continue to inspire this journey.
Looking Ahead – As Jain Heritage Centres steps into its 25th year, the commitment remains stronger than ever — to continue exploring, documenting, preserving, and sharing the extraordinary heritage of Jainism with the world.
Thank You for Being Part of This Journey!