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JAINISM IN INDIA
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eastern slope which has preserved two groups of Jaina images incised on the rock.
Now we journey towards the south and approach another renowned hill replete with Jaina antiquities. It is the hill known as Tirumalai near the village of the same name about 10 miles from Polur. The village is still inhabited by the Jainas and one interesting Jaina relic that has survived to this day is the remnant of paintings preserved on the wall and ceiling of the cave. The centre of attraction is a wheel whose nave is occupied by the figure of the Jina flanked by attendants. The intervening space between the spokes of the wheel contains group of devotees in adorning postures. The wheel evidently symbolises the charmacakra.
Now we may notice two places in the Wandiwash taluk of the North Arcot district which were characteristic resorts of the Jaina creed. Not far away from the village Vedol are hills whose boulders have disclosed the existence of inscriptions and Jaina relics. In the inscription of the time of the Pallava ruler this hill resort has been referred to as Vidal and Vidarpalli which mean the Jaina Monastery at Vidal.
Relics of Jaina faith have been preserved to the present day at Ponnur which must have been an influential centre of the creed at one time. The place possesses a fairly big shrine of Adinatha Tirthankara constructed on a low mound called Kanakagiri. The temple is under worship and owns a few decent metallic images of Tirthankaras and other deities. Notable among these is an icon of the deity Jvalamalini. About three miles to the north-west of Ponnur is a hill named Nilagiri. On the top of this hill is carved the image of Helacarya, which is also under worship. Helacarya, which name divested of phonetic hiatus would be Elacarya, according to a literary tradition, is intimately associated with the deity Jvalamalini. He was an eminent monk of the Dravida gana and hailed from Hemagrama in the Daksinadesa or southern country. In order to release a lady disciple of his from the clutches of a brahmarākşasa or evil spirit which had possessed her, he propitiated the vanhi devatā or the goddess of fire on the top of the Nilgiri Hill. This is the story of the origin of the cult of Jvalamalini, and Helacarya is regarded as its originator. We can easily acquiesce in the identity of Hemagrama of Helacarya with Ponnur (pon-gold), which has treasured relics and traditions associated with his name. Jvalamalini is the yakșini of Candraprabha, the eighth Tirthankara according to Digambara tradition. Jaina pantheon has another deity of this name who is reckoned
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