Ahmedabad: On the occasion of Mahavir Jayanti (Janmakalyanak) on March 31, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Samrat Samprati Museum at Koba. The inauguration will take place in the presence of Acharya Padmasagarsuri from Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhna Kendra, Governor Acharya Devvrat, chief minister Bhupendra Patel, and Sudhir Mehta, the president of Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhna Kendra.Officials said the museum is dedicated to the life and values of Samrat Samprati Maharaj (224-215 BC), the grandson of Samrat Ashoka and a great figure in Jainism and a preacher of non-violence.The museum, built with support from UNM Foundation of Torrent Group, preserves centuries-old rare ancient relics, Jain artefacts, and traditional heritage. These historical collections, displayed over seven galleries, include stone and metal idols, huge Tirth Patta, Yantra Patta, miniature paintings, silver chariots and coins, and ancient manuscripts. Officials said that the museum is the dream of Acharya Padmasagarsuri who has walked about 2,00,000 km in India and Nepal over six decades and has collected priceless cultural relics. The seven galleries include the introduction to Jainism and Jain philosophy, tales of the Tirthankara, ancient Jain statues and manuscripts, metal and stone statues of protective gods and goddesses, Yantra images, maps and ancient manuscripts of Jain aagamas, Mughal-era edicts including Emperor Akbar’s farmaan, Rajat Rath, models of Jain temples, woodwork, various texts from different centuries, and coins, among others.“This museum will become a beacon of our shared heritage and inspire generations to explore India’s spiritualism, culture and art,” said Sudhir Mehta in a statement. The UNM Foundation will operate and maintain the museum.“The Samrat Samprati Museum is a unique amalgamation of India’s ancient tradition and modernity. It integrates modern audio-visual technology, spiritual music and immersive presentations to provide an infrastructure for a contemporary experience for visitors, researchers and scholars. Beyond its visual appeal, the museum offers a profound spiritual journey, conveying eternal values of non-violence, restraint and compassion to society,” said an official from Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhna Kendra.
