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HISTORY OF JAINISM IN ORISSA
It is also stated that a Jain merchant Tomali Mongoputta lived at the famous port Tamralipti, who used to visit neighboring ports of Bengal and Odisa. These examples show the adherence of merchant class to the principles of Jain religion.
Now, a natural question arises as to how and through which route, Jainism entered the regions of Odisa. Beglar, who studied these routes in 1862-63, traces that there were two lines of communication between Tamluk to Pataliputra and Tamluka to Varanasi. Besides, Dantapura, the ancient capital of Kalinga was connected with several important land routes. 16 On the basis of the then circumstances, it is clear that the Jain monks entered Odisa through the south western portion of Bengal. It was the areas of Paniyabhumi, Vajrabhumai and Tamralipti, where Jainism flourished and from there, it entered into ancient Orissa. Thus, Jainism, which had become an important religion in Magadha in the 6th century B.C., advanced towards south eastern India too and in that course, it reached Orissa through Bengal and Ladha.
The great Mauryan king Asoka, who invaded Kalinga and captured it17, states that there lived everywhere Brahmanas, Sramanas and people belonging to other sects. Though, scholars have opined different views on the identification of sramanas on the basis of different ancient texts, it is mentioned in Jain texts that they were the followers of Jain Tirthankaras or Jain principles.
The age of king Kharavela 18 of Mahamegha Vahana dynasty has been considered as the golden period of Jainism in Odisa. Kharavela was the third king of his dynasty, whose career and achievements is preserved in his Hathigumpha inscription. 19 The inscription clearly states that Jainism was the personal religion of the king. He is stated to have observed the sacred five vows or pancamahavratas. It is opined that Kharavela declared Jainism as the state religion too.
In the 13th year of his reign 20, Kharavela organized a great Jain conference to compile the Agamas from various lost or incoherent religious scriptures. About 3500 learned Jain saints and sramanas had come to attend this conference from all parts of India. This conference was held in the Vijayacakra portion of Kumariparvata on Udaigiri, which was situated in the south west of Hathigumpha.21 This great celebration is corroborated by the Hathigumpha inscription as well. King Kharavela brought back the Jain image from Magadha and got constructed a number of Jain caves and endowments. The description of the installation of Kalinga Jina by Kharavela has been referred by several Jain and other literary texts 22
The Kharavela dynasty was succeeded by the Murundas and one of its king Maharaja Rajadhiraj Dharmadhara has been regarded as a supporter and follower of the Jain cult. The Murunda family as a whole remained inclined to this faith. Several caves like Barabhuj and Lalatendu Kesari were either erected or renovated during this period.
In the 7th Century AD, Chinese Buddhist scholar Hiuen Tsang visited India and found numerous nirgranthas or Jain followers in this area. The austere life of the Jainas in India attracted his attention and he mentions that 'the nirgranthas and their followers go without clothing and so attract notice, making it a meritorious act to pull out their hair by violence, their skin dried up and their feet hard and in appearance like the decayed wood on the river bank.'22
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