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Tamil Jains
Tamil Jains (Tamil language, Tamil Samaṇar, from Prakrit ''Śramaṇa, samaṇa'' "wandering renunciate") are Tamils from Tamil Nadu, India, who practice Digambara, Jainism (Tamil ). The Tamil Jain is a microcommunity of around 85,000 (around 0.13% of the population of Tamil Nadu), including both Tamil Jains and north Indian Jains settled in Tamil Nadu. They are predominantly scattered in northern Tamil Nadu, largely in the districts of Tiruvannamalai, Kanchipuram, Vellore, Villupuram, Ranipet and Kallakurichi. Early Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions in Tamil Nadu date to the third century BCE and describe the livelihoods of Tamil Jains. ''Samaṇar'' wrote much Tamil literature, including the important Sangam literature, such as the ''Nālaṭiyār'', the ''Silappatikaram'', the ''Valayapathi'' and the ''Seevaga Sindhamani, Seevaka Sinthamaṇi''. Three of the five great epics of Tamil literature are attributed to Jains. History Origins Some scholars believe that Jain philosophy mu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bhattaraka
A Bhaṭṭāraka ( pka, भट्टारक "holy one") heads traditional Digambara Jain institutions. He is responsible for training scholars, maintenance of libraries, managing endowments, presiding over installation ceremonies and running Jain institutions. Overview The term ''bhaṭṭāraka'' was used for Virasena, Bhadrabahu and other notables. It has also been used for the Tirthankaras. It was in the past used for leaders of religious orders in Shaivism, Buddhism and other groups, but currently it is applied to heads of Digambara Jain institutions. Unlike a Digambara monk, a bhaṭṭāraka wears an orange robe, stays in a single place and is involved in management of assets of the institution. Several of the Bhattarak seats were termed "Vidyasthana" i.e. centers of learning. These include Jaipur, Delhi, Gwalior, Ajmer, Nagaur, Rampur-Bhanpura, Karanaja, Surat, Kolhapur, Jinakanchi, Penukonda, Malkhed, Vijayanagara, Varanga and Hummacha. The role of a bhaṭṭār ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
