Jaina Archaeological Heritage of Tamilnadu

Author(s): A Ekambarnathan
Publisher: Bharat Varshiya Digambar Jain Mahasabha

Page 150

JAINA MANUSCRIPTS
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traditions, in all probability, they have been freshingly and interestingly carried on to the posterity by a group of religious community. It is a collection of rural folk traditions. Moreover, the keen interest evinced by the Western Orientalists and Indian scholars testify to the importance of these documents. As pointed out already, 'their testimony may be used as circumstantial evidence calculated to supplement the results arrived at from other sources'. The data diligently interpreted would reveal the history of Jainism in the proper perspective. JAINA CENTRES
The Jainas enjoyed a great patronage in South India from the beginning of the Christian era down to the end of the 12th century A.D. Their continuance even in the late medieval period in Tamilcountry is also vouchsafed by myths and legends preserved in the manuscripts. One of the records (Ms no: 69) mentions a list of Jaina villages, most of which preserve Jaina heritage till date. Some of these are already noticed as historical centres with inscriptions and monumental remains.' The Jains were numerically strong and flourishing in the Chingleput (now Kancheepuram) and Arcot (now, Tiruvannamalai & Vellore) districts in the heyday of their ascendancy in the Tamil country'. It has been noticed that, to-day, a good number of Jainas are living mostly in the same region with the headquarters of the Pontiff at Cittamur in Viluppuram district. Chittamur, Koliyanallur, Tirunarungondai, Tondur, Perumandur, all in Viluppuram district; Tirumalai, Ponnur, Odalavadi, Tachambadi, Venkunram and Karandai in Tiruvannamalai district; Pulal, Pundi, Tirakkol (Ms 11 Sec 12) Punadagai, Mylapore and Tirruparutikkunram (Ms 22, Sec 3) were all important Jaina centres in Kanchipuram district. The above centres continue and preserve the Jaina heritage by