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JAINISM IN SOUTH INDIA The history of the pontifical throne of Penugonda seems to date from an early epoch. Jinabhūshaņa figuring in the inscription of the Pārévanātha Basadi mentioned before, might be an early pontiff of this place. The monastic affiliations of this preceptor are not known and we are not sure if the same line continued in an unbroken chain. Any way pontiffs of the Sēna gana are seen exercising the spiritual authority from their seat attached to the Pārsvanātha temple at Penugonda in the 16th century A. D. Pāyaṇavrati,' the author of the Kannada work Samyaktva. kaumudi, was a disciple of the pontiff Lakshmisēna Muni of Penugonda and he lived approximately in the 16th century A. D. Lakshmisēna of the Nāgamangala taluk record might be his later successor.
SALEM DISTRICT Dharmapuri in the Dharmapuri taluk came to the forefront as a resort of the Jaina faith through the efforts of a few zealous devotees in the 9th century A. D. Its ancient name was Tagadūru. Two residents of the place Nidhiyunna and Chandiyaņņa built here a Jaina temple and secured an endowment of the village Mulapalli, free from all encumbrances, from the Nolamba -Pallava king Mahõndra 1. The gift was received by Kanakasēna Siddhānta Bhatāra, pupil of Vinayasõna Siddhānta Bhatāra, of the Müla Samgha, Sõna anvaya and Pogariya gana. Mahöndra I, it may be noted, had chosen Dharmapuri as his headquarters at this time and was having a palace here. Four Samayis, the Nādu, Nakara and the Naraśāsana were the witnesses to this transaction. Some years later the same temple received a gift of another village from Mahöndra I's son Ayyapadēva,
NolamBA-PALLAVA Chiefs: As territorial governors of the feudatory family, the Nolamba-Pallava princes ruled over large parts of Karnāțaka, com mprising portions of the Mysore State and the districts of Bellary, Anantapur and Salem. Mahöndra I of the above record was the first distinguished ruler who expanded and established his dominion on a firm footing. Ancient Henjēru which is modern Hēmāvati in the Anantapur District, was one of the capitals of this family. The Nolamba-Pallava chiefs, though all of them were not formal adherents of the faith, cherished great regard for the doctrine of Lord Jina and warmly patronised the Jaina religious institutions in their kingdom. We have seen how Mahēndra I and his son Ayyapadēva figure as the donors to a Jaina temple in a record from Hömāvati.
The grant made to & Jaina shrine at Marāļ in the Hungund taluk of the Bijāpur Dt. by another ruler of the family, by name Ghateyankakāra,
1 Karnataka Kavicharite, Vol. II, p. 332, 2 Ep. Ind., Vol. X, pp. 65 t.
