About Jain Khoj

Jainism is one of the most ancient and continuously-practiced traditions in the the world. However, the study on the history of this great religion is either distorted or biased due to myths, sectarian disputes and left/right wing dominance on history writing. The lack of interest in the field of history among the Jains presently is also leading to further distortion in the name of faith.

Shri Uttaradhyayan Sutra, one of the Mul Sutra's of the Jain canon (Agams) has a very beautiful verse which forms the core thought behind this portal- "अप्पणा सच्चमेसेज्जा" which means that "the truth must be discovered by oneself and through one's own contemplation".

The concept of "Jain Khoj" was visualized by an avid history researcher, Mr. Arpit Shah. Through this portal, he aims to spread the long lost chapters of Jainism, from the lens of research works of various scholars. This portal aims to serve as an aggregator for historical research in the field of Jainism by scholars, monks and even passionate history lovers.

To feature your historical research, please free to drop a mail at csarpitshah@gmail.com

Arpit Shah

Mr. Arpit Shah is an avid history researcher, devotional singer as well as a Jain “vidhikarak” based out of Kolkata, India. After completing his education in the field of Corporate Law and Finance (CS and MBA), he works full time for a Multinational FMCG corporate.


He has authored various articles on Jain research and other spiritual articles among others which have been read by nearly 7 lac people across the globe through his website. His articles are also regularly published in Jain Journal (a peer reviewed UGC recognised Quarterly on Jainology), Titthayar and Jain Avenue (an initiative of JAINA). Apart from research & spiritual articles, he has authored three books namely-


  • "Dharma Saarthi" (published & republished in 2018): A coffee table book containing Samvednas, showcasing the beautiful Angrachna pictures of Shri Dharmanath Bhagwan; and

  • "Prabhu Tamara Pagle Pagle" (published in 2019 & republished in 2020): A research cum travelogue compiling the present locations of “Vihar bhumis” of Shri Mahavir Swami Bhagwan. The book has received blessings from various gurubhagvants like Gacchadhipati Acharya Shri Punyapalsuri Maharaja, Padmabhushan Acharya Shri Ratnasundarsuri Maharaja, Acharya Shri Munichandrasuri Maharaja, Acharya Shri Jaggatchandrasuri Maharaja, Acharya Shri Mahabodisuri Maharaja, Acharya Shri Vinaysagarsuri Maharaja, Acharya Shri Udayratnasurishwarji Maharaja among others. The book has also been blessed by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi and Hon’ble Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Vijay Rupani.

  • "Jin Pooja: Itihas ke panno se"(published in 2021): A deeply enriched research work on the gradual evolution of various types of Dravya Puja in the Shwetambar sect of Jainism.


Mr. Arpit Shah is also the founder of Jain Khoj website, an aggregator of Research works on Jainism. He is also actively involved in non-commercial devotional singing and also conducts various Jain pujans. He has conducted spiritual events in various places like Ahmedabad, Surat, Chennai, Mumbai, Varanasi, Kolkata and various Kalyanak / Tirth bhumis across India. He is also an avid traveller and has visited more than 400 places across India.


Disclaimer

The contents of this website are for information purposes only, enabling the public at large to have a quick and an easy access to scholarly works. The Jain Khoj website does not host any research on its own platform. It is only an aggregator which links the researches to the respective hosts' webpages. This website does not take responsibility for the accuracy of the contents in those sites. The hyperlink given to external sites do not constitute an endorsement of information offered by these sites. Despite best efforts, Jain Khoj does not guarantee that the documents hyperlinked are free from infection by computer viruses etc.