Ponnur Malai Jain temple

Ponnur Hill marks the place of birth for Jain Acharya Kundakunda.^[1] According to Jain beliefs, he visited Videha Kshetra and ascended to Heaven from here.^{[citation needed]} The association of Ponnurmalai with Kundakunda belongs to the religious tradition of the Tamil Jain community. The hill continues to be revered as a place associated with his meditation and ascetic practice.^[2]

Historical evidence for the Jain establishment at Ponnur is provided by inscriptions associated with the Adinatha temple. An inscription dated to 1256 CE, during the seventh regnal year of Maravarman Vikrama Pandya, records that the nattavar of Vidalparru assigned taxes payable by settlers in the palli-vilakam of Adinatha for worship and repairs to the temple.^[3] The inscription demonstrates the existence of an organised Jain establishment at Ponnur by the mid-13th century and records provisions for both the worship and maintenance of the Adinatha temple.^[3]

Further inscriptional evidence dates from 1733 CE. A record from the Adinatha temple refers to the Jain community of Svarnapura and prescribes the ceremonial procession of images of Parshvanatha and Jwalamalini from the temple to Nilagiri Parvata for the weekly worship associated with Helacharya.^[4] Svarnapura has been identified with Ponnur, while Nilagiri Parvata has been identified with the nearby Ponnur Hill.^[5]

The temple enshrines an idol of Rishabhanatha inside the mukhya-mandapa.^[6] An idol of Jwalamalini was installed inside the temple in 1733 CE. The temple is noted for the worship of the tutelary deity Jwalamalini, who is popular among devotees.^[7][8][6] The principal historic shrine at Ponnur is dedicated to Adinatha, the first Tirthankara. The temple is also associated with the worship of Parshvanatha and the Jain goddess Jvalamalini. A bronze image of Parshvanatha bears an inscription dated 1733 CE. The inscription records that the image was donated to the Adinatha temple by the ascetic Anantasena of the Senagana, a disciple of Virasenadeva. On Sundays, there is a tradition of carrying the image of Jwalamalini to the shrine of Helacharya, the originator of Jwalamalini tantric practices, in Nilgiri Mountains.^[9][10]

The practice is also documented epigraphically. A 1733 inscription records an agreement by the Jains of Svarnapura to take the images of Parshvanatha and Jvalamalini from the temple of Adisvara to Nilagiri Parvata every Sunday for the weekly worship of Helacharya.^[4] This inscription is significant because it provides historical evidence for a ritual tradition associated with Jvalamalini worship at Ponnur rather than relying solely on later religious tradition. The temple houses the footprints, which are annually anointed.^[1][11]

Ponnurmalai occupies an important place in the religious memory of Tamil Digambara Jains because of its association with Kundakunda, one of the most influential philosophers of the Digambara tradition.^[1] The hill contains footprints attributed by tradition to Kundakunda. These footprints continue to form a focus of pilgrimage and ritual worship.^[1] The Śrī Viśākhācārya Taponilayam at Ponnurmalai is a modern Jain religious establishment associated with the hill. During her field research at Ponnurmalai, historian R. Umamaheshwari recorded the presence there of the Digambara monk Subhadrasagar and Tamil Jain scholars engaged in the study and discussion of Jain philosophy.^[2] The association of Kundakunda with Ponnurmalai is primarily preserved through Jain religious tradition and should be distinguished from the securely dated medieval inscriptions of the Adinatha temple.

The inscriptions associated with the Adinatha temple provide important evidence for the history of Jainism at Ponnur. A record dated 1256 CE states that the nattavar of Vidalparru assigned taxes collected from settlers in the palli-vilakam of Adinatha for worship and repairs.^[3] The reference to a palli-vilakam indicates the existence of an established Jain religious settlement associated with the temple. Two records associated with the year 1733 provide evidence for the later religious history of the site. One records the donation of an image of Parshvanatha by the ascetic Anantasena of the Senagana, disciple of Virasenadeva. 'Another 1733 inscription records the weekly procession of the images of Parshvanatha and Jvalamalini from the Adinatha temple to Nilagiri Parvata for the worship of Helacharya.^[4] Together, these inscriptions document the continuity of Jain worship at Ponnur from the medieval period into the 18th century.

Ponnur is significant both for its historic Jain temple and for the religious traditions surrounding Ponnurmalai. The Adinatha temple preserves evidence of medieval and early modern Jain patronage, while the hill is revered by Digambara Jains for its traditional association with Kundakunda. The site is particularly associated with the worship of Adinatha, Parshvanatha and Jvalamalini. The 1733 inscription concerning the weekly procession of Parshvanatha and Jvalamalini provides evidence for the historical importance of the Jvalamalini cult in the region.

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  Idol of Kundakunda
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  Rishabhanatha
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  Entrance