Jain Journal 1992 10

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

Page 35

JAIN JOURNAL
The very names Gudaveera and Kamalavahana mentioned in the inscriptions are reminiscent of Jain nomenclature. The term 'Palli' and 'Pallicham.' inscribed therein are clear proof that this was a Jain temple originally. The word 'Palli' even today indicates temples other than those of Hindus. “Pallichantham' means royal gifts of lands to the deities of other religions, while 'manyam' represents the gifts made to Hindu temples.
On the pillars of the temple there are many images of Jain Tirthankaras. The image in standing pose under the hood of a five headed serpent is Pārsvanātha, the 23rd Tirthařkara in the line, the 24th and the last being Vardhamana Mahāvira. The seated figure carved on the pillar is undoubtedly of Mahāvira, for, at the bottom of the seat are seen sculptured figures of lions, the totem peculiar to Mahavira. Over the head of the image is the triple umbrella, one of the characteristic features of Jain iconography. The image of a lady under the hood of a three headed serpent is Padmāvati, the Yakşi of Parsvanātha.
From the hymns of Thirugnanasambandar, it can be surmised that Jainism was a prominent religion in Kottar and the surrounding area during his days. He has described the naked Jain monks staunch Buddhists roaming in the streets of Kottar as "Udaiilathu Ulalginra Kundarkal Unarum thavathaya Sakkiyarum”. It is interesting to note that Therur near Nagercoil was once a centre of Buddhists of Theravada School.4 There is also epigraphic evidence to show that there were flourishing Jain settlements in Kottar, Kurandi, Tiruchcharanathumalai and Tirunandikkari which are all in the present district of Kanyakumari. From the Jain vestiges and inscriptions found in Samanar malai in Madurai district, Kalugumalai in Chidambaranar district and Tiruchcharanathumalai in Kanyākumāri district we learn that a large number of Jain monks who were there hailed from these four Jain centres in Kanyākumāri area. The erudite Jain scholars and their disciples from these centres of learning left votive images cut on the rocks in different centres of Jain culture. There were several Jain scholars named Putbananda Adigal, Uttapandi Adigal, Vimalachandrar and Pathamoolathan Arangam Maran who had prefixed the word Kottar to their names. The line "Chattan Varagunan Seivittha Srimeni' which appeared in the inscription found
4 Dr. Shu Hikosaka, Buddhism in Tamilnadu. p. 192. 5 South India Inscriptions, Vol V, pp. 122-132. 6 T.A.S., Vol. II, p. 126.