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JAINISM IN SOUTH INDIA
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belonging to Mülasangha and Desi gana, who has been described as the disciple of Nemicandra.
An epigraph 378 from Śivaganga in Nelamangala taluk of Bangalore district, assigned to 1140 A.D., though a Śaiva record, refers to the construction of a Jina temple, by a chief called Vishnuvardhana. He also built Deva temples in the same place.
A Review : The above discussion of the epigraphs of South Iudia (1000-1300 AD.), abundantly shows that, with the exception of Karnatak, Jainism was practically a spent religious force, in other parts of the South. We have already seen that other Hindu religious sects were not favourably inclined towards this religious system, and in most places, they were denied political patronage. Even in Karnatak, they had to face very stiff opposition, and gradually lost their hold over the people. However, the Jain writers of this period, produced same brilliant works, both in Sanskrit and local vernaculars, and their works will be discussed in chapter on the Digambara literature.
