Jinamanjari 2000 09 No 22

Author(s): Jinamanjari
Publisher: Canada Bramhi Jain Society Publication

Page 16

installed by Tailapa-II in the tenth C.E.
VESTIGES IN MEHABOOB NAGAR DISTRICT. Recent discovery of traces of an ancient fortification, 30 ft. wide and 18 ft. high, on a hill called Singavaramgattu was made by Drs. Nagireddy and Subramanyam of the Andhra State Archaeology. Passing across the gateway there lies a huge standing nine feet Jain image at the farthest end of the hill. In front of the image are found traces of a ruined temple, with completely fallen sanctum sanctorium and yet the ardhamantapa in tact. According to the authors, the image is of Parsva with five hooded serpent, decorated by the triple chhatras and three umbrellas on the top. It appears to belong to the Kakatiya period, 12th 13th C.E. The image is worshipped presently by the local people, every year in the month of Vaišāka on the last Saturday, and at time of dry spells. This discovery further adds to the several Jaina vestiges seen at places like Nandi Vaddeman Makthal and Kodangal, all in the district. This brings out the fact that Mahaboobnagar region was a flourishing Jaina stronghold during the Kalyāṇa Calukya and Kakatiya times
Apart from these places, Jaina centres also thrived at Bejawada, Rayadurga, Aryavatam, Pudur, Peddatumbulam, Jainad in Adulabad district, Nindra, Penchikalapadu, Tatipaka and Chilkur. A recent discovery of an inscription of the Western Calukya Jayasimha-II dated 1034 C.E. from Saidapuram in Nalgonda district refers to a mahamandalesvara mahāsāmantadhipati Aggalayya. It calls him an adept in surgery and a vaidyaratnākara. On the Jaina literary front, Dr. P.V.P. Sastry observes that Jaina Malliyarechaṇa, author of the Kavijanasraya a chhando laksana work in Telugu, flourished at Vemulavada and belonged to the time of Arikersari-III (950 C.E.). He was assisted by Jinavallabha whom he refers as "vachikabharana", and was the brother of poet Pampa, the father of Kannada literature. This brings the fact to light that there existed a work on prosody in Telugu a century earlier before the stated work of Nannaya, considered as the first Telugu poet.
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REFERENCES
1. Jaina Art and Architecture, Vol. 1, p.35.
2. Ibid., pp.42-43.
3. Ibid., pp.35 ff.
4. Ibid.
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