Mallinathaswamy Jain Temple (மன்னார்குடி மல்லிநாதசுவாமி ஜினாலயம்) :ta:மன்னார்குடி மல்லிநாதசுவாமி ஜினாலயம் is a

Jain temple A Jain temple, Derasar (Gujarati: દેરાસર) or Basadi (Kannada: ಬಸದಿ) is the place of worship for Jains, the followers of Jainism. Jain architecture is essentially restricted to temples and monasteries, and Jain buildings ge ...

dedicated to the deity

Jain Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an 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 time cycle being ...

, located in

Mannargudi Mannargudi () is a town in Thiruvarur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the headquarters of the Mannargudi taluk. The town is located at a distance of from the district headquarters Thiruvarur, 36 km from Kumbakonam, 40 km fro ...

, an ancient town in the erstwhile

Chola Empire The Chola dynasty was a Tamil thalassocratic 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 to the 3rd century BCE d ...

Tiruvarur District Thiruvarur district is one of the 38 districts in the Tamil Nadu state of India. As of 2011, the district had a population of 1,264,277 with a sex-ratio of 1,017 females for every 1,000 males. Geography The district occupies an area of 2,161 ...

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 ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. Mallinathaswamy or

Māllīnātha Mallinatha (Prakrit ''Mallinātha'', "Lord of jasmine or seat") was the 19th tīrthaṅkara "ford-maker" of the present ''avasarpiṇī'' age in Jainism. Jain texts indicate Mālliṇātha was born at Mithila into the Ikshvaku dynasty to Ki ...

is the 19th Tirthankara of the Jain faith.

Other temples

There are also Jain temples in

Kumbakonam Kumbakonam (formerly spelt as Coombaconum or Combaconum) or Kudanthai is a city municipal corporation in the Thanjavur district in the States of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located from Thanjavur and from Chennai and is the headq ...

Thanjavur Thanjavur (), also Tanjore, Pletcher 2010, p. 195 is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is the 11th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of South Indian religion, art, and architecture. Most of the Gr ...

, Deepankudi and other places in Tamil Nadu.

History

This is an ancient temple built during the reign 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 ...

dynasty in the twelfth century. It is very famous among all the ancient tirths of

. Apart from the idol of Bhagawan Mallinathar which is divine and very impressive there are idols of Dharma Devi, Saraswathi Devi,

Padmavathy Devi Padmāvatī is the protective goddess or śāsana devī (शासनदेवी) of Pārśvanātha, the twenty-third Jain tīrthāṅkara, complimenting Parshwa yaksha in Swetambara and Dharanendra in digambar the shasan deva. She is a yak ...

Jawalamalini Jwalamalini or ( sa, ज्वालामालिनी, kan, ಜ್ವಾಲಾಮಾಲಿನೀ) is the Yakshini (guardian spirit) of the Eighth Tirthankara, Shri Bhagwan Chandraprabhu in Jainism and was one of the most widely invoked Yak ...

Amman and other in the temple which are also miraculous and impressive. The temple has

sanctum sanctorum The Latin phrase ''sanctum sanctorum'' is a translation of the Hebrew term ''קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים'' (Qṓḏeš HaQŏḏāšîm), literally meaning Holy of Holies, which generally refers in Latin texts to the holiest place of th ...

, Rajagopura, artha

mandapa A mandapa or mantapa () is a pillared hall or pavilion for public rituals in Indian architecture, especially featured in Hindu temple architecture. Mandapas are described as "open" or "closed" depending on whether they have walls. In temples, ...

, front

and maha

. In front of the mandapa flagpost is found. Rajagopura has three tiers. The

vimana Vimāna are mythological flying palaces or chariots described in Hindu texts and Sanskrit epics. The "Pushpaka Vimana" of Ravana (who took it from Kubera; Rama returned it to Kubera) is the most quoted example of a vimana. Vimanas are also mentio ...

has two tiers. In the front mandapa Rishabadeva is found, flanked by two yakshas. The Mahamandapa is found in the Maratta style. In the

prakara A prakaram (प्राकारः in Sanskrit), also spelled pragaram or pragaaram) in Indian architecture is an outer part around the Hindu temple sanctum. They may be enclosed or open and are typically enclosed for the innermost prakaram. As ...

sculptures of Tirttankara and Mahavira are found. Chariot mandapa and Vahana mandapa are also found in this temple. G.Thillai Govindarajan, Jainism in Thanjavur District Tamil Nadu, Nehru Trust for the Indian Collections at the Victoria & Albert Museum, New Delhi, 110 001, May 2010

Presiding deity

The presiding deity is known as Mallinathaswamy and Mallinathar. The sculpture is of 56 cm height, and was made in 1986. The sculpture which was kept in sanctum sanctorum earlier is now found in the arthamandapa, as the nose of sculpture was found broken. The Processional deity is found in the mahamandapa.

Festivals

Daily pujas are held. During Fridays Sukravara Puja and archana is done to Jwalamalini. Pournami is celebrated. During Tamil months of Vaikasi (Vaikasi Saptami is held after hoisting of flags), Adi, Avani, Puratassi, Aippasi (Mahaveer Parinivara Day), Karthigai (lighting of lamps) and Panguni (eight day festival known as Nandisvara Dveepa) are held. Bhajans are held during Marghazhi, with lighting of Mukkudai Deepam. சமணத் திருத்தலங்கள் (சோழ மண்டலம்), ஆதிபகவன் சமணர் சங்கம், 53/22, ஜவுளிசெட்டித்தெரு, தஞ்சாவூர் 613 009, 2009 Every year during the summer 11 day festival i.e. Thiruvizha or Bramorchavam will be celebrated in grand manner. Currently in Tamil Nadu it's happening in very few Jain temples. Last two days of the festival is very famous. 11th day Thiruvizha is called "Kannadi Pallakku", in this Sri Jawalamaini Amman will give darshan to the devotees. No other Jain temples in Tamil Nadu is having this unique Pallakku.

References

{{Jainism topics Jain temples in Tamil Nadu 12th-century Jain temples

Other temples

History

Presiding deity

Festivals

See also

References