- Raja Harsukh Rai
Raja Harsukh Rai (राजा हरसुख राय) (early 1800's) the chief of the
Agrawal community, and a builder of several Jain temples in and around Delhi [Jain Jagran ke Agradut, A.P> Goyaliya, 1952] , was the imperial treasurer during Sam. 1852-Sam. 1880 [ http://www.digamberjainmandirhastinapur.org/temple-history.htm] .When
Shahjahan constructed his now capital city at Delhi in 17th century, he invited several Jain financiers to come and settle there. They included Sah Dipchand ofHissar , an Agrawal Jain, who constructed 16 havelis for his 16 sons in Dariba, south ofChandni Chowk [Jyotiprasad Jain, Pramukh Jain Etihasik Purush aur mahilayen, Bharatiya Jnanapitha, 1975 ] . According to other accounts he was invited byShah Alam II and had five sons [Bharat ke Digambar Jain Tirth, Volume 1, Balbhadra Jain, 1974 ] .Harsukh Rai, one of his descendants, was chosen to be the imperial treasurer by Emperor
Shah Alam II , and was given the titleRaja .Harsukh Rai constructed a large and ornate Jain temple in the Dharampura locality of Old Delhi in 1807 during the rule of Mughal Emperor
Akbar II with a cost of about 8 Lakh rupees, then an enormous amount. He was able to obtain the royal permission to construct a shikhara for the temple for the first time during the Mughal rule. Thus temple is known as theNaya Mandir (new temple), since an older Jain temple, now known as theLal Mandir already existed.When the temple construction was almost finished, Harsukh Rai stopped the construction. When the representatives of the Agrawal Jain community approached him and asked about it, he claimed that he has run out of money and needed donations from the community to finish the construction. After accepting modest donations, Harsukh Rai declared the temple to be
panchayati (i.e. belonging to the community, rather than himself) and finished the construction.During the festivities of temple consecration (
Panch-kalyanak Pratishtha ), the festive pandal was raided by a local group and the gold and silver objects (chhatra, chamar, utencils) were plundered. Harsukh Rai complained to the Emperor, who ordered that they be returned.In Samvat 1867, he wanted to obtain the imperial permission for a rath-yatra (religious procession) that was traditionally prohibited. He had the
Sunehri Masjid reguilded. As a reward, he asked the emperor permission to have the rath-yatra.He and his son Suganchand built numerous Jain temples at
*Patparganj
*Hastinapur
*Karnal
*Sonpat
*Hissar
*Panipat and
*SanganerAlso see
*
Agrawal
*Lal Mandir
*Naya Mandir External links
* [http://www.digamberjainmandirhastinapur.org/temple-history.htm Hastinapur Prachin Digamber Jain Temple]
* [http://www.jainteerth.com/teerth/Hastinapur.asp Shri Digambar Jain Teerth Kshetra Hastinapur]
* [http://www.ghumakkar.com/2007/11/22/exploring-shahjahanabad-a-walk-in-old-delhi/ Exploring Shahjahanabad: A walk in Old Delhi]
* [http://www.hindu.com/2005/05/01/stories/2005050109920400.htm Heritage walk down the Delhi roads, lanes]
* [http://www.jstor.org/sici?sici=0037-9808(200103)60%3A1%3C26%3AMTMMAT%3E2.0.CO%3B2-%23 Mansions to Margins: Modernity and the Domestic Landscapes of Historic Delhi, 1847-1910, Jyoti Hosagrahar, The Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, Vol. 60, No. 1 (Mar., 2001), pp. 26-45]References
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