Jainism in South India and Some Jaina Epigraphs

SR No.: 011025
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: P B Desai
Publisher: Jain Sanskruti Samrakshak Sangh Solapur
Publication Year: 1957
Total Pages: 495
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 33 MB

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JANTI IN SOUTH INDIA
AMARĀPURAM: At Amarapuram in the 19th century A. D. came into being a magnificent temple dedicated to the god Prasanna Pārsvadēva which was named Brahma Jinālaya. Bālēndu Maladhāridēva, senior pupil of Tribhuvanakirti Rāvula, who belonged to the Mula Samgha, Kondakundānvaya, Dôsiya gaña, Pustaka gachchha and Ingalēsvara bali, was responsible for the creation of the holy structure. Mallisetti, a lay disciple of the former teacher, made a gift of 2000 aroca trees at Tammadaballi for the benefit of the temple. The income derived from the gift was to be used for reconstructing the Jaina temple with stone from the foundation to the pinnacle with the mahāinandapa, bhadramaņdapa, Lakshmimaņdapa, gõpura, enclosure, vandanamnālā (festoons ), mānastambha, sampūrņavāhana and makaratorana. The gift was received by the temple priest Chellapille who hailed from Bhuvalūkanāthanallūr in the southern Pāņdya country. He was a Jina Brāhmaṇa of Yajurvēda, Aitaröya sākkā, Vasishtha götra and the pravara, Kaundinya-Maitrāvaruņa-Vasishtha.' These Brahmanical attributes of the Jaina priest are worthy of note. At this time the region was under the administration of the Noļamba-Pallava chief Irungoļa II who was a patron and follower of the Jaina religion. The record furnishing this information is dated in A. D. 1278. Bāļēndu Maladhāri was an influential preceptor and he also figures in other records of the tract.
Amarapuram contains a good number of Nisbidhi memorials one of which refers to the teacher Prabhăchandra Bhattāraka of Ingalēsvara bali of the Müla Saṁgha, etc. Another celebrates the demise of the preceptor Bhāvasāna Traividya-chakravarti who was a terror to the disputants and belonged to the Müla Sangha, Sēna gana."
KOTTASĪVARAM: The dilapidated mapdapa seen at the entrance into the village of Kottasivaram was originally a decent Jaina temple constructed by a preceptor and renovated by a distinguished lady of the ruling family, This is known from the insoriptions engraved on two of its pillars. One of them states that the Jaina temple was built by Dāvanandi Acharya pupil of Pusbpanandi Maladhāridēva, of Kāṇūr gana and Kondakundanvaya. The other introduces Alpadēvi, wife of the above-noticed Nolamba-Pallava governor Irungola II, and informs that she protected the Jaina charity while it was in a ruined state. Alpadēvi appears to have been a lady of the Alupa
2 3 4 6 6
An. Rep. on 8. I. Epigraphy, 1917, Appendix 0, No. 42 Ibid., No. 40 and p. 113. Ibid., No. 43. Ibid., No. 44. Ibid., No. 21. Ibid., No. 20.