Manatunga Acharya Shrine

About the shrine and the Bhaktamar Stotra

The shrine recalls Acharya Mantunga, a Jain Muni who was staying at Bhojpur and performing tapa, penance for self realisation and purification. He is the figure at the centre of the tradition of the Bhaktamar Stotra, a stotra of 48 chhanda, or verses, that remains very popular among Jains and is recited daily in many families. Each verse is held to carry the power of a mantra and to help in materialising what the reciter hopes for.

The story attached to the stotra runs as follows. King Bhoj was seated on the throne of Dhara Nagari, present day Dhar in Madhya Pradesh, in the year 1100 AD. The poet Kalidas was a member of his royal court, and a Jain poet, Dhananjaya, was also becoming known in the city. Called before the king and praised for his poems and wisdom, Dhananjaya replied politely that all his knowledge came from the blessings of his Guru, Acharya Mantunga. The king then sent servants to bring the Acharya from Bhojpur to Dhara with honour, but ascetic saints have no purpose in meeting kings, and the Acharya stayed silent in meditation. The servants returned having failed, the king grew angry and ordered that the Acharya be brought by force. Brought before the court, the Acharya was asked to give religious precepts to the assembly. Judging the conditions unfavourable, he chose to remain silent, and the king, angered again, ordered him imprisoned.

Understanding the site

The place of penance

What is remembered here is an act rather than a structure: the Acharya was at Bhojpur doing tapa, penance for self realisation and purification, when the king's servants came for him. Visitors come in that devotional frame rather than for monument viewing.

The Bhaktamar Stotra

The stotra of 48 verses is the living part of this tradition and is recited daily in many Jain households. Each chhanda is held to have the force of a mantra. Reading or hearing it recited is the usual way people engage with the site.

Planning your visit

This is a devotional site, so plan it as a short, quiet stop rather than a sightseeing block.

• Observe Jain shrine etiquette on dress, footwear and food.
• Keep noise down; the site is associated with meditation and penance.
• Confirm access timings and any local arrangements on the day.
• Combine it with other Bhojpur stops rather than travelling for it alone.

Best time to visit

The source material records no festival dates or season for this shrine, so timing is a matter of convenience and confirmed access. Visits early in the day generally suit a site whose whole association is with quiet meditation.