Jain Journal 1972 07

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 16

JULY, 1972
his sur-names 'Nayanar' and 'Thevar'. Thevar means a Jaina Muni. There was previously a temple of Neminather in Mylapore. The book Thirunootranthathi contains many songs in praise of Neminather. Similar poems, stone images and stone inscriptions unearthed in Mylapore speak abundantly that the place was once the seat of the learned Jainas. Nannul commentator Mylainathar, Avirothenather, Gunavira Pandita of Neminather fame lived in this place. So it is not surprising that the Jainas of ancient Mylapore erected a temple for the author of Thirukkural installing therein the footprints of the Thevar and worshipped them.
The Jainas were also the first to instal and worship foot-prints of their Tirthankaras, Acaryas and Munis. Particularly worthy of mention are foot-prints of the Tirthankaras at Kailas, Campapuri, Sammet Sikhar, Pavapuri and Girnar. In Tamilnadu, one can see the foot-prints of Kunda Kunda Acarya of Thirukkural at his birthplace on the Kunda Kunda Mountain, Ponnnur Hill, foot-prints of Akalanka Thevar in Thirupparamur, Vamana Muni in Jina Kanchi and Gunasagara in Vizukkam. The footprints of Bhadravahu Svami and Candragupta Maurya can be seen worshipped in Sravana Belgola in memory of their visit to South India in 3rd century B.C. In accordance with this practice, the Jainas in ancient Mylapore worshipped the foot-prints of the author of Thirukkural, calling them by special names Thiruvalluvar Nayanar and Thiruvalluvar Thevar. In this worship, the non-Jainas also joined with devotion. And everytime they went to worship, these people lovingly called the temple as Nayanar temple.
Even about a decade ago, when asked about Thiruvalluvar temple, the people living in the streets around the temple would express their ignorance. If asked about Nayanar temple, they would immediately point to the temple. The reason why they called the temple as Nayanar temple was that upto 17th century A.D. the majority of the people that lived in Mylapore were Nayanars (Jainas). That Mylapore was the seat of the Jainas in those days is recorded in the old Thothirathirattu (collections of songs of prayers) called Mylapore Pattu. Inter alia, the ancient work says that Mylapore was crowded with prosperous Sravakas (Jainas). Even today, the Jainas in Tamilnadu have the distinguished title of Nayanar. Those Jainas who later embraced other religions have not renounced the Nayanar title, e.g., Neerpoosi Vellaras, found in Nellikupam, Panruti, Gingee, Arni, Kappalur, Kalasapalayam village, have still retained their Nayanar title. Among many south Indian Musalmans the Nayanar title is still prevalent. There are evidence to show that these Muslims were also converted from the Jainas. In certain parts