Jain site
Pawapuri
Loading map…
Tap a feature for its note.
Overview
Pawapuri in Nalanda district of Bihar is the place where Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism, attained nirvana, around 527 BCE by Jain tradition.
The Jal Mandir, a white marble temple in the middle of a lotus-filled tank, marks the place of his cremation.
It is one of the most sacred pilgrimage centres for Jains, along with Rajgir, Vaishali and Bodh Gaya in the same region.
Geography and key facts
- Nalanda district, Bihar
- Place of Mahavira's nirvana
- Jal Mandir in a lotus tank
- Major Jain pilgrimage site
Why it matters for UPSC
Mahavira's life: born at Kundagrama (Vaishali), attained kevala jnana near Jrimbhikagrama, nirvana at Pawapuri.
Note for UPSC
Bihar; Mahavira's nirvana.
Questions link Jain sites with Tirthankaras and their states.
Asked in PYQs
No question in our Prelims bank names Pawapuri yet.
Key facts
- Type
- Jain site
- State / UT
- Bihar
- Coordinates
- 25.092°N, 85.539°E
From the Map Explorer data; positions are for orientation.
In the lessons
- Vedic Age, Mahajanapadas, Buddhism and Jainism (map lesson)
- Jainism, Ajivikas and Other Heterodox Schools (map lesson)