THE STORY BEHIND THE JOURNEY
Today, that timeless journey is being reimagined for a generation growing up in an entirely new world.
BEGIN THE JOURNEY ↓
01 / THE TEXT
Chhahdhala is one of the most loved and widely studied works of Jain spiritual literature. Written in accessible poetic language, it takes profound questions of the soul, karma, right understanding, conduct and liberation and makes them approachable through a deeply human spiritual journey.
Its subject is not simply religion as an external identity. Its central concern is the Self. It asks us to look beyond the identities, possessions, circumstances and attachments that continually change, and to discover the conscious nature of the soul beneath them.
02 / THE NAME
The work is organised into six sections, or six dhals. In its traditional explanation, a shield protects a person from an attacking force. Chhahdhala transforms that metaphor inward: the threats are not external enemies, but ignorance, delusion, attachment, aversion and the tendencies that keep the soul bound.
The six dhals become a spiritual protection - a framework for understanding the wandering of the soul and the path that leads from confusion toward clarity and liberation.
01
Awakening
02
Understanding
03
Discernment
04
Right Direction
05
Inner Reflection
06
The Path Forward
03 / THE LINEAGE
The Chhahdhala tradition existed before the version that later became most widely known. Earlier Jain scholars, including Pandit Budhjan Das Ji, composed works in the Chhahdhala tradition.
AN EARLIER TRADITION
Pandit Budhjan Das Ji
An earlier Chhahdhala by Pandit Budhjan Das Ji formed an important foundation in this literary and spiritual lineage.
THE CHHAHDHALA WE JOURNEY WITH
ARCHIVAL RECORD
छहढाला
Kavivar Pandit Daulatram Ji · Vikram Samvat 1891
The Chhahdhala at the heart of this initiative is the celebrated composition of Kavivar Pandit Daulatram Ji. His work draws from the earlier Chhahdhala tradition and presents Jain spiritual philosophy with remarkable clarity, poetry and accessibility.
Completed in Vikram Samvat 1891, this composition went on to become deeply familiar across the Jain community and has been studied by generations of students and seekers.
04 / THE POET & SCHOLAR
Pandit Daulatram Ji belonged to a rich tradition of Jain scholarship and spiritual poetry. His Chhahdhala did something extraordinary: it brought profound philosophy into a form that could be remembered, recited, contemplated and passed from one generation to another.
The composition explores the wandering condition of the soul, the causes of spiritual confusion, the nature of right understanding and the discipline through which liberation becomes possible.
05 / WHY NOW
For centuries, wisdom travelled through scripture, recitation, pathshalas, teachers and conversations within families.
Today, children and young people encounter the world through motion, stories, characters, screens, sound and imagination.
The purpose of Chhahdhala is not to replace the original wisdom. It is to create a bridge toward it.
Through cinematic animation, visual storytelling, contemporary communication and thoughtful interpretation, ancient Jain ideas can become something a new generation does not merely hear - but sees, questions, feels and remembers.
06 / THE JOURNEY
The Chhahdhala Journey transforms this spiritual foundation into an ongoing animated learning experience designed for today’s world.
Across 52 weeks, Chhahdhala unfolds through 104 animated episodes, with two new episodes released every week in Hindi and English.
DHALS
ANIMATED EPISODES
EPISODES EVERY WEEK
WEEKS
Chhahdhala is designed for children discovering these ideas for the first time, teenagers beginning to ask deeper questions, parents searching for meaningful conversations, teachers looking for new learning tools, and anyone who wants to reconnect with Jain philosophy through a contemporary experience.
For the Curious.
For the Questioning.
For Families.
For Pathshalas.
For Seekers Everywhere.
07 / OUR MISSION
Our mission is to create a bridge between profound Jain philosophy and the way people learn today - using animation, storytelling, technology and thoughtful communication without losing the depth, dignity or spiritual intention of the original teachings.
We want young minds to move beyond simply knowing religious words and begin asking the questions those words were meant to awaken.
08 / OUR VISION
We envision Chhahdhala becoming a global digital gateway to Jain thought - connecting homes, Pathshalas, teachers, students and seekers across languages and geographies.
A living educational ecosystem where ancient wisdom can be explored through films, stories, conversations, learning resources and shared reflection.
09 / THE PURPOSE
Name changes.
Age changes.
The body changes.
Roles change.
Relationships change.
Possessions change.
Circumstances change.
Chhahdhala invites us to explore the distinction between the Self and everything we temporarily identify as the Self. That question sits at the heart of this entire journey.
01
Authenticity
The spiritual foundation remains anchored in Jain philosophy and the original Chhahdhala tradition.
02
Clarity
Complex philosophical ideas are approached through stories, visual metaphors and accessible language without reducing their meaning to superficial motivation.
03
Imagination
Animation and emerging visual technologies are used as tools for understanding - allowing invisible ideas such as consciousness, attachment, karma and inner transformation to become experiences that can be seen and remembered.
Through digital platforms, animation and multilingual storytelling, Chhahdhala can reach families and seekers wherever they are - from India to Jain communities across the world.
The aspiration is simple: make access easier, make understanding deeper, and allow the wisdom to travel farther.
THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING
Chhahdhala is not simply something to watch. It is an invitation to observe, understand, question and discover.
Week by week, episode by episode, the journey moves closer to the question at the centre of Jain spirituality:
ज्ञान से अनुभव की ओर।
From knowledge toward realization.