Jainism
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religions, Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current ...
, one of the three most ancient Indian religious traditions still in existence, has very small presence (0.01%) in
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
, in south India. According to the 2011
India Census, Kerala only has around 4500 Jains, most of them in the city of
Cochin
Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of K ...
,
Calicut
Kozhikode (), also known in English as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. It has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, making it the second la ...
and in
Wayanad district
Wayanad () is a district in the north-east of Indian state Kerala with administrative headquarters at the municipality of Kalpetta. It is the only plateau in Kerala. The Wayanad Plateau forms a continuation of the Mysore Plateau, the southern ...
.
Medieval Jain inscriptions are mostly found on the borders of Kerala proper, such as in Wayanad in the north-east,
Alathur
Alathur is a town, taluk and gram panchayat in Palakkad District, Kerala, India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Alathur Taluk and is situated about 24 km from the district headquarters Palakkad through National Highway 544.Ga ...
in the
Palghat Gap
Palakkad Gap or Palghat Gap is a low mountain pass in the Western Ghats between Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu and Palakkad in Kerala. It has an average elevation of with a width of . The pass is located between the Nilgiri Hills to the north and ...
and
Chitharal
The Chitharal Jain Monuments and Bhagavati Temple, also known as Chitharal Malai Kovil (literally "Temple on the Hill"), Chitaral Cave Temple or Bhagwathi Temple, are located near Chitharal village in Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India. ...
in
Kanyakumari District
Kanniyakumari district is one of the 38 districts in Tamil Nadu state and the southernmost district in mainland India. It stands second in terms of population density among the districts of Tamil Nadu. It is also the richest district in Tamil Nad ...
. Epigraphical evidence suggests that the shrine at "Tirukkunavay", perhaps located near
Cochin
Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of K ...
, was the major Jain temple in medieval Kerala (from c. 9th century CE). The so-called "Rules of the Tirukkunavay Temple" provided model and precedent for all other Jain temples of Kerala.
Some of the Jain temples in Kerala were incorporated by the
Hindus
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
at a later stage. The temple images are worshiped as Hindu gods and considered as part of the Hindu pantheon. It is not uncommon for Hindus and Jains to worship their deities in the same temple.
History
Jainism in Iron-age/early historic Kerala
It is possibility that Jainism arrived in modern-day Kerala in the third century BCE soon after
Maurya
The Maurya Empire, or the Mauryan Empire, was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in the Indian subcontinent based in Magadha, having been founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 322 BCE, and existing in loose-knit fashion until 1 ...
emperor
Chandragupta Maurya
Chandragupta Maurya (350-295 BCE) was a ruler in Ancient India who expanded a geographically-extensive kingdom based in Magadha and founded the Maurya dynasty. He reigned from 320 BCE to 298 BCE. The Maurya kingdom expanded to become an empi ...
(died ''c.'' 297 BCE), accompanied by Jain sage
Bhadrabahu I, made the pilgrimage to
Sravana Belgola (in present-day
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
). Their followers might have journeyed further south, into present day
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
and Kerala.
A number of caves, donated by the early historic
Chera chieftains to the Jains, can be found in the
Karur-Pugaliyur region of western Tamil Nadu.
Utiyan Cheral Atal, a Chera chieftain, is stated to have (''Akam'' 55, ''Puram'' 65 and 66) died by starvation through a practice (the vattakku-irikkal) similar to the Jain ''
sallekhana vrata''. Utiyan Cheral was wounded on the back by his Chola rival
Karikala
Karikala ( ta, கரிகால சோழன்) was a Tamil Chola Emperor who ruled southern India. He is credited with the construction of the flood banks of the river Kaveri. He is recognised as the greatest of the Early Cholas.
Source ...
in a battle.
[Narayanan, M. G. S. ''Political and Social Conditions of Kerala Under the Cēra Perumāḷs of Makōtai (c. AD 800 - AD 1124).'' Thrissur (Kerala): CosmoBooks, 2013. 340-42.]
Late medieval to early modern Kerala
Ilamko Atikal, who is traditionally credited as the author of the Tamil epic ''
Chilappatikaram'', was probably a resident of a Jain vihara known as "Kunavayir kottam". Some scholars identify Kunavayir kottam with Tirukkunavay
lor Trikkana Matilakam, now known as
Matilakam, a village near
Cochin
Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of K ...
. Matilakam was also known as "Gunaka" and "Kunaka" in the medieval period (''Kokasandesa'', slokas 45-48).
Archaeological excavations conducted at Matilakam in 1970, revealed an 8th-9th century CE foundation, structurally different from the standard Hindu temple foundations in shape.
Whether it was the same as the kottam at Kunavay or not, epigraphical evidence suggests that the shrine at Tirukkunavay was the major Jain temple in Kerala. It is assumed that the so-called "Rules of the Tirukkunavay Temple" provided model and precedent for all other Jain temples of medieval Kerala. A dating system known as the Tirukkunavay Era was also present during this period.
Inscriptions mentioning the Tirukkunavay
* Tiruvannur/Tirumannur Inscription: royal order of the
Chola
The Chola dynasty was a Tamils, Tamil thalassocratic Tamil Dynasties, empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated ...
emperor
Rajaraja I
Rajaraja I (947 CE – 1014 CE), born Arunmozhi Varman or Arulmozhi Varman and often described as Raja Raja the Great or Raja Raja Chozhan was a Chola emperor who reigned from 985 CE to 1014 CE. He was the most powerful Tamil king in South ...
(c. 1044 CE), from Tiruvannur Temple, near
Calicut
Kozhikode (), also known in English as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. It has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, making it the second la ...
(the temple is a now
Siva temple)
*
Alathur
Alathur is a town, taluk and gram panchayat in Palakkad District, Kerala, India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Alathur Taluk and is situated about 24 km from the district headquarters Palakkad through National Highway 544.Ga ...
(Godapuram) Inscription (c. 11th century) - Images of Mahavira with the Gandharvas, and Parsvanatha have been recovered from Alattur.
* Talakkavu Inscription: from Talakkavu in Putadi,
Wynad
Wayanad () is a district in the north-east of Indian state Kerala with administrative headquarters at the municipality of Kalpetta. It is the only plateau in Kerala. The Wayanad Plateau forms a continuation of the Mysore Plateau, the southern ...
(dated in the 137th year of the Tirukkunavay Era ~ dated to c. 850 CE). The location of the Jain temple is now lost to the scholars.
* Kinalur Inscription (1083 CE) - connects Kota Ravi "Vijayaraga" (c. 883 - 913 CE),
the
Chera king at
Kodungallur
Kodungallur (; also Cranganore, Portuguese: Cranganor; formerly known as Mahodayapuram, Shingly, Vanchi, Muchiri, Muyirikkode, and Muziris) is a historically significant town situated on the banks of river Periyar on the Malabar Coast in Thr ...
, with "Kunvay-Nallur". The location of the Jain temple is now lost to the scholars.
Based on the Talakkavu Temple Inscription, it is calculated that the Tirukkunavay Temple was founded some time at the close of the 7th or the beginning of the 8th century CE. It seems that by 15th century, the Tirukkunavay Temple was transformed to a
Siva temple (''Kokasandesa'', slokas 47-48). The deity of Kunaka is called "Purari" in the poem ''Kokasandesa''. The location of the temple is now lost to the scholars (the temple was probably destroyed completely in late medieval period).
The
Chathurmukha Basati,
Manjeshwar
Manjeshwar is a town and a minor port in Kasaragod district at the northern tip of Kerala. It is situated at a distance of from the state capital Thiruvananthapuram, north of district HQ Kasaragod and south of Mangalore city in neighbou ...
near Bengere traces its history to patronage to
Jainism
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religions, Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current ...
given by a jain dynasty present in the region in 12th century. This temple got modified to present stature in late 18th century.
Other Hindu temples in Kerala with Jain characteristics are
*
Kallil,
Perumbavoor
Perumbavoor (, Malayalam: പെരുമ്പാവൂർ) is a historic place located at Bank of Periyar (Poorna River) in Ernakulam District in the Indian state of Kerala. It is a part of the Kochi metropolitan area It lies in the n ...
- Images of Mahavira, and Padmavati (worshiped as the Bhagavati) and
Parsvanatha
''Parshvanatha'' (), also known as ''Parshva'' () and ''Parasnath'', was the 23rd of 24 ''Tirthankaras'' (supreme preacher of dharma) of Jainism. He is the only Tirthankara who gained the title of ''Kalīkālkalpataru (Kalpavriksha in this "Kal ...
can be found in the temple.
* Paruvasseri, Peechi (Palliyara Kavu Bhagavati Temple)
* Kaviyoor Guha Kshetram , Pathanamthitta district, Bhagavati Temple, Tiruccanattu Malai,
Chitharal
The Chitharal Jain Monuments and Bhagavati Temple, also known as Chitharal Malai Kovil (literally "Temple on the Hill"), Chitaral Cave Temple or Bhagwathi Temple, are located near Chitharal village in Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India. ...
, Kulithura - Images of Mahavira, Devi (destroyed) and Parsvanatha can be found in the temple.
Jainism in modern Kerala
Some Jain shrines from early historic and medieval times still remain, notably in
Jainamedu
Jainamedu is a suburb or neighbourhood of Palakkad city, Kerala, India. It is located on the southern banks of the Kalapathy River, it is one of the western suburbs of Palakkad and is ward 51 of Palakkad Municipality.
It is best known its 15-ce ...
, near
Vadakkanthara
Vadakkanthara is an area in Palakkad city, Kerala, India. It is located about 3 km from centre of city.Vadakkanthara is wards 43 and 50 of Palakkad Municipality.
Religious sites
Thirupuraikkal Temple is a historical Hindu temple
A ...
,
Palghat
Palakkad (), formerly known as Palghat, historically known as Palakkattussery is a city and municipality in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the Palakkad District. Palakkad is most densely populated municipal ...
, and in
Sultan Battery
Sultan Bathery is a town and municipality in Wayanad district of Kerala, India, near the borders with Tamil Nadu and Karnataka states. The largest town in Wayanad district, it is the headquarters of Sultan Bathery taluk.
The place came to ...
in
Wayanad
Wayanad () is a district in the north-east of Indian state Kerala with administrative headquarters at the municipality of Kalpetta. It is the only plateau in Kerala. The Wayanad Plateau forms a continuation of the Mysore Plateau, the southern ...
.
Koodalmanikyam Temple
Koodalmanikyam Temple is a Hindu temple in Irinjalakuda Municipality, Thrissur district, Kerala, India . The temple comprises a main structure, a walled compound with citadels, and four ponds around the main structure one of which is within ...
in
Irinjalakuda
Irinjalakuda is a municipal town in Thrissur district, Kerala, India. It is the headquarters of
Irinjalakuda Revenue Division and Mukundapuram Taluk. After Thrissur, this town has most number of administrative, law-enforcement and judicial of ...
is believed to have been a Jain temple. The assumption is that it was dedicated to Bharateswara, a digambara Jain monk.
Some Jain temples located in modern-day Kerala are:
Anantnath Swami Temple
Anantnath Swami Temple (also known as the Puliyarmala Jain Temple is a Jain temple located at Puliyarmala, 6 km from Kalpetta in the Wayanad district in the state of Kerala in India. It is dedicated to Anantnath Swami, a Tirthankar of the ...
(Puliyarmala Jain Temple) in Puliyarmala, outside
Kalpetta
Kalpetta is a major town and municipality in the Wayanad district, state of Kerala, India. Kalpetta is the headquarters of Wayanad district, as well as the headquarters of Vythiri taluk. It is a bustling town surrounded by dense coffee and tea ...
;
Jain Temple, Kidanganad
Sultan Bathery temple, originally known as Ganapathi Vattam, is a famous Jain temple located at Sultan Bathery, earlier known as Kidanganad town of Kerala.
About temple
The Sultan Bathery temple originally known as, Ganapathi Vattam, was co ...
, Wayanad;
Jainimedu Jain Temple
Jainimedu Jain temple is a 15th-century Jain temple located in city of Palakkad, Kerala.It is located at
Jainimedu, one of the suburbs of the city . It is dedicated to Chandraprabha, a Tirthankar of the Jain faith.
The celebrated Malayalam po ...
;
Kattil Madam Temple
Kattil Madam Temple is a dilapidated shrine in the Palakkad district in Kerala, India. It is thought to be a Jain temple built around the ninth or tenth centuries AD and is situated on the Pattambi Guruvayur road.
Architecture
The architectur ...
;
Jain temple, Alappuzha;
Kallil Temple
Kallil Temple is a jain temple located at Kerala, South India. It is 8 km away from Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district of Kerala. Kallil in Malayalam means 'in stone'. It is one of the most ancient Jain temple in Kerala. It is one of the p ...
in
Perumbavoor
Perumbavoor (, Malayalam: പെരുമ്പാവൂർ) is a historic place located at Bank of Periyar (Poorna River) in Ernakulam District in the Indian state of Kerala. It is a part of the Kochi metropolitan area It lies in the n ...
;
Kochi Jain temple
The Kochi Jain temple or Dharmanath Jain temple is a Jain temple in the Mattancherry in Kochi, Kerala.
History
Historically, Jains from Kutch & Saurastra used to come to Cochin, Kozhikode and Alleppey for business. This temple was built in ...
,
Mattancherry
Mattancherry (), is a locality in the city of Kochi, India. It is about 9 km south-west from the city center. It is said that the name Mattancherry comes from "Ancherry Mattom", a ''Namboodiri illam'' which the foreign traders then pronounc ...
; Shri Vasupujya Swami Jain Temple, Srinivasa Mallan Road,
Kochi
Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of K ...
; Cochin Digambar Jain Mandir,
Panampilly Nagar
Panampilly Nagar is a high-end hybrid residential-commercial neighborhood in Kadavanthra region of the city of Kochi, India. It is a busy upmarket residential area in Kadavanthra region just 1 km east of M.G Road, the center of Kochi city.
...
,
Kochi
Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of K ...
;
Chathurmukha Basati,
Manjeshwar
Manjeshwar is a town and a minor port in Kasaragod district at the northern tip of Kerala. It is situated at a distance of from the state capital Thiruvananthapuram, north of district HQ Kasaragod and south of Mangalore city in neighbou ...
; and
Parswanatha Basati,
Manjeshwar
Manjeshwar is a town and a minor port in Kasaragod district at the northern tip of Kerala. It is situated at a distance of from the state capital Thiruvananthapuram, north of district HQ Kasaragod and south of Mangalore city in neighbou ...
.
Photo gallery
File:Jaina2.jpg, Anantnath Swami Temple
Anantnath Swami Temple (also known as the Puliyarmala Jain Temple is a Jain temple located at Puliyarmala, 6 km from Kalpetta in the Wayanad district in the state of Kerala in India. It is dedicated to Anantnath Swami, a Tirthankar of the ...
File:Kerala jain temple.jpg, Kochi Jain temple
The Kochi Jain temple or Dharmanath Jain temple is a Jain temple in the Mattancherry in Kochi, Kerala.
History
Historically, Jains from Kutch & Saurastra used to come to Cochin, Kozhikode and Alleppey for business. This temple was built in ...
in Mattancherry
Mattancherry (), is a locality in the city of Kochi, India. It is about 9 km south-west from the city center. It is said that the name Mattancherry comes from "Ancherry Mattom", a ''Namboodiri illam'' which the foreign traders then pronounc ...
, Kochi
Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of K ...
File:Jain stone temple in wayanad 02.jpg, Visnugudi Basadi Jain Temple, Panamaram
Panamaram is a village in Wayanad district in the state of Kerala, India.
Demographics
India census, Panamaram had a population of 11651 with 5891 males and 5760 females.
Panamaram River
Panamaram River is a tributary of the Kabani River ...
File:Chitharal jain temple3.jpg, Jain art & carvings at Chitharal Jain Temple
File:Chitharal jain temple1.jpg, Chitharal Jain Temple
File:Jain temple jainimed.JPG, Jainimedu Jain temple
Jainimedu Jain temple is a 15th-century Jain temple located in city of Palakkad, Kerala.It is located at
Jainimedu, one of the suburbs of the city . It is dedicated to Chandraprabha, a Tirthankar of the Jain faith.
The celebrated Malayalam po ...
, Palakkad
Palakkad (), formerly known as Palghat, historically known as Palakkattussery is a city and municipality in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the administrative headquarters of the Palakkad District. Palakkad is most densely populated municipal ...
File:Manjeshwar Jain Temple.JPG, Jain temple in Manjeshwar
Manjeshwar is a town and a minor port in Kasaragod district at the northern tip of Kerala. It is situated at a distance of from the state capital Thiruvananthapuram, north of district HQ Kasaragod and south of Mangalore city in neighbou ...
File:Jain-temple-alleppey.jpg, Jain temple, Alleppey
The Jain Temple in Alleppey is a place of worship for Jains in the southern Indian state of Kerala. It was important in the growth of Jainism in South India. It is situated at the Northeast side of the Muppalam at the famous Gujarati Street in Al ...
File:Shri Vasupujya Swami Jain Temple.jpg, Shri Vasupujya Swami Jain Temple
See also
*
Jainism
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religions, Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current ...
*
Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
References
External links
Kallil photo
{{Topics related to Kerala
Jain communities
Social history of Kerala