History – Gokak has a world famous waterfall known as Gokak Falls, it is popularly called as the Niagara of Karnataka. During the British rule in India, the Forbes Spinning Mill (now owned by Gokak Textiles Limited of the Shapoorji Pallonji Group) was started here, and is functional to this day, providing jobs for thousands of people. A small scale hydroelectric power generation plant was also set up in Gokak Falls, one of the oldest such projects in the whole of Asia. This plant is also in good working condition to this day, and is used by the Spinning Mill and the nearby area. We can find a Jain temple dedicated to Lord Suparshwanatha at Gokak.
How to Reach – Gokak is located at a distance of around 70km from Belgaum at the confluence of two rivers, the Ghataprabha and the Markandeya.
Temple Name – Sri Suparshwanatha Digambar Jain Temple.
Main Deity – About three feet high black coloured idol of Lord Sri Suparshwanath Tirthankar in padmasana.
History – The temple has a manasthambha Mukhamantapa, navaranga and Garbagriha. In the navaranga we can find the idols of Goddess Padmavathi and and a Yakshi to the right and left of the sanctum sanctorum respectively. In the sanctum sanctorum we can find a three feet height black coloured dol of Lord Suparshwanath in padmasana as the main deity. The uniqueness of this idol is that it does not have hoods.
In the first floor we can find the white coloured marble idol of Lord Chintamani Parshwanath in padmasana in the sanctum sanctorum and pther Tirthankara. To the right of the sanctum sanctorum we can find the idols of Goddess Saraswathi and an Yakshi and an ancient black coloured idol of Lord Parshwanath in kayotsarga. To the left of the sanctum sanctorum we can find a very ancient idol of Lord Adinath in Kayotsarga along with the 24 Tirthankaras. This idol made of green stone (pachhe) is very unique of its kind. We can find idols similar to this at Amminabhavi (Dharwad district, Karnataka), Kasamalagi (Belgaum district, Karnataka) and Penukonda (Anantapur District, Karnataka). By comparing all these idols we can conclude that they belong to the same time period.
Temple Address – Sri Suparshwanath Digambar Jain temple, Jain Galli, Ravivarpet, Gokak, Belgaum District, Karnataka.
