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JAINISM IN INDIA
Many inscriptions have been collected from the eastern taiuqs of Mysore of which the following may be noted:
Inscription found at Nanjangud records that the first Ganga king Koganivarma met his preceptor Simhanandi at Perur. That the Ganga kings were Jainas is confirmed by this epigraph. Perur is known as Gangaperur even today.
Inscription of Tirumkudal Narsipur taluq refers to Tambuluracarya who wrote tika on the Tattartha Sutra in Kannad language. It also records the defeat of the Buddhists at the hand of Akalamka in the court of Himasitala, king of Kanchi.
Inscriptions of Kelasur, taluq Gandlupet, record the installation of the image of Candraprabha in the caityalaya by Krsnaraja.
There are many inscriptions in the Jaina vasti at Cikkahonsagame. One inscription on the wall of Santi jinālaya is most important which records that this vasti was established by Ramacandra, son of Dasaratha. It is interesting to note that in the 11th century people believed that these temples were built by Ramacandra.
Halebid in Hasan district is said to have originally contained no less than 720 Jaina temples. At present it contains only three that of Adisvara, Santisvara and Parsvesvara.
Sravana Belgola: It is the chief seat of the Jaina sect in the South, being the residence of their principal guru. At the summit of Vindhyabetta or Indrabetta, 3250 ft. above the level of the sea and about 400ft. above the village below is the image of Gomatesvara with numerous sacred buildings. On Candrabetta there are also many temples and between the hills a splendid tank.
According to tradition of the Jainas, Bhadrabahu died here in a cave on Candrabetta while leading an emigration to the south from Ujjain. Twelve years after, Candragupta Maurya also died here by sallekhana. These events, which are borne out by rock inscriptions of great antiquity must be assigned to the 3rd century B.C. The grand son of Candragupta, it is said, paid a visit to the spot with an army, out of whose encampment arose the town of Sravana Belgola or the Belgola of the śramanas. The oldest basti on the hill is one dedicated to Candragupta.
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