History – It is believed that 11.5 lakhs years ago, King Jitashatru ruled Bharuch. Bhagawan Munisuvratha, the twentieth Tirthankar came on foot over a distance of 240 miles to Bharuch in order to give sermons to the Asvamegh horse and the horse became a Dev. This tirth is therefore known as Ashvabodh tirth. A female bird was killed by a hunter. The Sadhu preached her the Namokar Mahamantra. The female bird was born as the king’s princess. When the princess again heard Navkar mantra, she attained Jnatismaranjnana (remembering the past birth). Then she built a temple now called by the name Shakunika Vihar or Samadi Vihar. This temple was also renovated by kings like Sampriti and Kumarpal. In the due course of time Muslim rulers turned Hindu temples and Jain temples into mosque. This is one of those temples which was turned into mosque. When the temple of Samadivihar was attacked 500 years ago, the idols were shifted to seven temples in the Shrimali street. As the time passed the seven temples were ruined and the present temple having three-stories was built on the thirteenth day of the bright half of the month of Magh in the year 2045 of the Vikram era. The idol was installed by his holiness Rajayashasuri. On the first floor the idol of Bhagwan Munisuvratha, on the second floor the idol of Bhagawan Sahasrapani Parshwanatha are installed. We can also find the 11 inch high idol of Bhagawan Munisuvratha Tirthankara at this temple.
The other temple at this place is Shri Bhaktamara Bhavya Mandir. In the sanctum sanctorum of this temple there is an idol of Matunga Surishvarji, the author of the Bhaktamara stotra. We can also find the idols of Marudevamatha, Bharat Maharaja, Labdhisuri Maharaj Saheb and Vikramsuriji Maharaj Saheb. In this temple in the cellar there are depictions, of the forty four glorious gathas of the Bhaktamara stotra. For display of these depictions, twenty devkulikas are made from marble. There are twenty two idols of Bhagawan Rishabdev, the first Tirthankara who is worshiped by the devkulikas. Symbolic of the 44 gathas of the Bhaktamara stotra, its yantras and paintings are also seen. In this temple, there is a fifty one feet high, ancient idol of Bhagawan Adinatha.
How to Reach – This temple is situated in the Shrimali street of Bharuch on the bank of the river Narmada along on the sea-shore. This tirth is found on the Bombay-Ahmedabad railway line. The temple is at a distance of 2.5 kilometers from the railway station. Bus service and private vehicles are available. Boarding and lodging facilities are available here.
Main Deity – 2 feet 3 inches high, black coloured idol of Bhagawan Munisuvrata tirthankara in the Padmasana posture.