Religion and Culture of the Jains

Author(s): D C Sirkar
Publisher: University of Calcutta

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RELIGION AND CULTURE OF THE JAINS
Ādinātha at Ponnür received endowments in the time of Māravarman Vikramapāņdya about 1289 A.D.80
Under the Gungas and Rāştrakūțas. The Gangas, whose kingdom was founded probably with the help of the Jains, also find mention in some important records of Tondaimandalam.8 1 Attimalla (Hastimalla) alias Kannaradeva Pșthvigangaraiyaņ, a Ganga ruler, set up an image of Rşabhadeva and provided for its offerings by making a gift of the village of Korramangalam. This tenth century inscription is engraved on a pillar, which originally belonged to a Jain temple, but is now found built into the Draupadi temple at Padiyampattu in the North Arcot District. 8 %
Under Rājamalla, another Ganga ruler of the 10th century, Vallimalai in the North Arcot District was an important Jain centre.88 The local hill contains sculptures of four Jain preceptors, two of which were caused to be made by one Ajjaṇandi who was perhaps the greatest of the Jain teachers living in the 9th and 10th centuries A.D. and was famous all over Tamilnadu as evidenced by inscriptions mentioning him at places like Anaimalai, Aivarmalai, Uttamapālaiyam, Karungālakkuļi and Kongar Puliyangulam in the Madurai District and Eruvadi in the Tirunelveli District. 84
An inscription of a later period, also from Vallimalai mentions Bhavanandi who may be identified with the author of the Nannūl, a work on Tamil Grammar. He is believed to have been patronised by a Ganga ruler named Amarābharanan Siyagangan who was a contemporary of the Cõla king Kulottunga III (12th-13th century A.D.).86
Under Kșşņa III, the Rāștrakūţa ruler of the 10th century, a gift of lamp was made at Tirumalai by a servant of
80 No. 415 of 1928-29. 81 B. A. Saletore, op. cit., pp. 8-13. 82 No. 140 of 1941-42. 83 Ep. Ind., Vol. IV, pp. 140ff. 84 Nos. 692 and 729 of 1905 ; No. 54 of 1910; No. 562 of 1911, 85 Ep. Ind., Vol. IV, pp. 140ff.