Mahavira was a prince of the Magadha Kingdom then known as "Madyama Pawa" or "Apawapuri", and became an
ascetic at the age of 30. During one of the religious observances, called the
chaturmas observed by Jains for four months during the rainy season starting from the beginning of the month of
Āṣārh (22 June to 22 July) and ending in the month of
Kartik (October/November), the Jain monks and nuns remain at one holy place and preach the religious teachings of Jainism to the local people. Mahavira also observed this practice and during this period his one such stay was at Pawapuri. On the
Dipawali night on the 15th day of the month of Kartik he died when he was 72 years old. While the place of his
Nirvana is commemorated by a temple called the "Gaon Mandir" meaning "village temple" (also called "Thal Mandir"), the location where he attained
Nirvana, the temple built within a tank is known as the Jal Mandir. There is also another temple here dedicated to Mahavira called "Samosharan" where a statue of Mahavira delivering his last sermon is deified; the temple is circular in shape with beehive shape design. ==Temple==