Jaina Monuments of Andhra

Author(s): G Jawaharlal
Publisher: Sharada Publishing House Delhi

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Kulpak-A Jaina Tirtha-Kshetra
used to visit it for observing the sacred Sallekhana-dikasha. In Jaina theology, a place of pilgrimage is called as Tirtha. There is a strong belief among the Jains that the Tirthankaras alone developed the Tirthas or Kshetras. Hence the Jains considered it as a sacred duty to visit the Tirthas.
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Over 20 Jain inscriptions, small and big, have been found here. Almost all of them inform that there are a good number of Jain temples and vasadis flourished and traces of monuments were found scattered all over the town which fully co-ordinate the information supplied by the epigraphs. It is reported that there are several Jain antiquities on a hill nearby, which however are not available. An inscription records the construction of the temple of Neminatha and the installation of Parsvadeva image by a Mahamandalesvara Kumara-Mangideva. It also records that the chief Mangideva belonged to Mula-sangha, Kranur-gana, and Tintrini-gacchha. Another epigraph dated A.D. 10935 registers the gift of 2 martars of land and flower garden to the Jinalaya built by a Mandalika Gomarasa during the time of Tribhuvanamalladeva Vikramaditya VI. A yet another record dated A.D. 1107 (C.V. 32) records the gift of some land in the village of Chapuliya by Kumara Somesvara to Parsvanatha-Jinalaya.
The manastambha (pillar of eminence) dated A.D. 1125 (C.V. 50)7 of Tribhuvanamalla. contains two records issued by two different persons namely Kesiraja and Svamidevayya. In Jainism the erection of a manastambha is considered as a pious act. Hence the devotees used to erect them in front of the temples. The former, i.e., Kesiraja claims to have erected a manastambha and makara-torana in the temple of Ambika, the sasanadevi of Neminatha, the 22nd Tirthankara. The manastambha which contains this unique inscription appears to be the same which stands on the mound called, Obadibba (Fig-2) and the makara-torana, is well-supported by exquisitely carved citrakhanda pillars. The other record says that Svamidevayya, a military Commander of Kulpak, gifted the village Panupara for the anga and rang-bhoga of the goddess, Ambika. The mound, Obadibba revealed traces of temple foundations. It consists of garbhagriha, antarala, and rectangular mukhamandapa,