Jain Journal 1986 07

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

Page 26

Kodungallur Bhagavati
V. G. NAIR
This article is divided into two parts, one dealing with the history of Jainism in ancient and modern Kerala, and the other on Kodungallur Bhagavati, the Jaina goddess Kannaki worshipped in Kerala by all classes of Hindus for the past eighteen hundred years to this day.
I
According to Tamil classical literature, Jainism was a flourishing religion among a large section of the people in Kerala, in the early centuries of the Christian era.
There were numerous Jaina temples, monasteries and educational institutions in various parts of the country. Education was imparted by Jaina Acaryas and their disciples on all branches of learning irrespective of caste, community and religion. The number of temples was more than two hundred, according to rough estimate. The strength of ascetics based on an early Kerala inscription was fortyeight thousand in the 2nd century A.D. They were adherents of the central monastery at Kodungallur, the capital of the Cera kingdom. The temples consisted of rock-cut cave temples and those on land and hillocks. Most of these temples had inscriptions. The rock-cut cave temples contained artistically shaped Tirthankara images and also some of the Jaina deities. The cave temples with their images have escaped desecration down through the centuries and remain intact to this day. Almost all the hill and ground temples have vanished together with most of their inscriptions either by vandalism or ravages of time. The few remaining temples which have escaped from destruction have been taken possession by Devaswam Board of the Government. The original names of some of the deities were changed to Hindu gods and goddesses. The change might have been made after the decline of Jainism in Kerala beginning from the 7th-10th and finally in the 15th centuries A.D. An ancient temple was found in a dilapidated condition in the midst of forests on the border of Kerala and Tamilnadu two years ago. A number of broken stone-pieces of inscriptions were picked up from the site of the temple. This temple is called Kannaki and Mangaladevi Kottam. It was taken possession by the Kerala Government.