Jain Journal 1985 07

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

Page 22

JULY, 1985
Kurumbas spread over to Tamilnadu upto Tondaimandalam, which included Kongunadu, Coimbatore and some other adjoining districts. The author of this book has referred to a very important and trustworthy poetical work, written centuries ago entitled Kongu Mandala Sathakam by Karmegha Pulavar or poet. This Sathakam has described the borders of Kongunadu, towns and villages, temples and rivers, poets and religious teachers, wealthy persons and philanthrophists. Poet Karmegha Pulavar was a Kannadi settled in Vijayamangalam near Erode. He was a Tamil Pandit. In his book there is no reference to the Kurumbas who also belonged to Karnataka. If the Kurumbas had penetrated into Tondaimandalam and Kongunadu, the author would have mentioned those wondering tribes and their occupation of Polal. As these episodes are false which had not taken place in Tondaimandalam or Kongunadu Pulavar has kept silence and has not mentioned the Kurumba adventure in his book. This is additional proof to prove the Kurumba occupation of Polal as false and therefore there is no possibility of mentioning it as an incident of historical importance in the old annals of South India.
17
Mylapore, a part of the port city of Madras was a renowned locality mostly inhabited by the Jainas of Tamilnadu in the 1st century A.D. 'Anciently', says an old manuscript in Tamil, 'this city was wholly inhabited by the Jainas who had a fane (temple) with an image of Neminatha." Mylapore was noted for maritime trade with foreign countries and was known to Roman traders who exported various commodities to Rome. Silappadikarm, the Tamil classic written by Ilamko Adigal, the Jaina ascetic and brother of Cera Senkuttuvan, king of Kerala in the 2nd century A.D. whose capital was Kodumgallur or Muziris of the Romans, has described that many foreign ships arrived at Kodumgallur or Cronganore loaded with foreign goods for consumption in Ceradesa and exported commodities to Rome. Ptolemy, geographer and astronomer of antiquity, 140 A.D., places 'Maliarpha' or Mylapore on his map. To be on the map, it must already have existed and been of considerable importance.
In the early years of the 1st century A.D. a Jaina ascetic and his disciples on their way to Mylapore during their vihar walking on foot all the way from Karnataka reached Puyal village (the present names of these villages are Polal and Puzhal) and rested for the night on the bank of the Red Hill Lake close to the present Adinath temple. At that time
Taylor, Catalogue Raisonne Oriental Manuscripts, Govt of Madras Library, Vol. III. p. 372.
Rev. B. A. Figredo, Voices from the Dust.