Tirumalai (Tamil Nadu)
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Tirumalai (lit. "the holy mountain"; also known as Arhasugiri, lit. "the excellent mountain of the Arhat", and Engunavirai-Tirumalai, lit. "the holy mountain of the Arhats" in Tamil) is a Jain temple and cave complex dating from at least the 9th century CE. It is located northwest of Polur in Tiruvannamalai district, Tamil Nadu, southeast India.[1] The complex includes three Jain caves, two Jain temples, and a 16.25-foot-high (4.95 m) monolithic sculpture of the Tirthankara Neminatha, thought to date from the 12th century CE and described as the tallest Jain image in Tamil Nadu.[2][3] The Arahanthgiri Jain Math is also located near the Tirumalai complex.[1]
| Tirumalai | |
|---|---|
| |
Peak of Tirumalai | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Jainism |
| Deity | Neminath |
| Festival | Mahavir Janma Kalyanak |
| Location | |
| Location | Tiruvannaamalai, Tiruvannamalai district, Tamil Nadu |
 Interactive map of Tirumalai | |
| Coordinates | 12.556675°N 79.205946°E |
| Architecture | |
| Established | 9th century CE |
| Temple | 2 |
History
Tirumalai has been an important Jain centre since at least the early medieval period. According to local Jain tradition, 8,000 Jain monks who accompanied Bhadrabahu performed penance and attained nirvana here. Footprints associated with four Jain saints—Vrishabhsenacharya, Samanatabhadracharya, Varadattacharya Munivar and Sri Vadeepa Simhasuri—are also present at the site.[4]
An inscription dated to 1024 CE mentions the Kundavai Jinalaya temple.[5] The inscription records conquests attributed to Rajendra Chola I and gifts made by him to the temple.[6]
Two inscriptions of Rajendra Chola I, dated to his twelfth regnal year (1024 CE), are particularly important. One records a gift to the Jain temple at Tirumalai, which is called Kundavai Jinalaya, or "the Jina temple of Kundavai". The record identifies the temple as being in the pallisandam of Vaigavur.[7][8]
The identification of the Kundavai who founded or endowed the temple requires some caution. The inscription does not identify her in the manner used by modern historians. Kielhorn discussed two possible royal women named Kundavai associated with the Chola royal family and concluded that the temple was probably founded by the elder Kundavai, the sister of Rajaraja I and queen of a Pallava ruler, rather than by the younger Kundavai, the sister of Rajendra I and queen of the Eastern Chalukya ruler Vimaladitya.[7]
Early site
The large cavern at the base of the site is thought to have been established around the 9th century. In the 10th century, it was divided into approximately 30 chambers, possibly to accommodate images of Tirthankaras and a yakshi. As at the Ellora Caves, representations of celestial beings performing rituals before Tirthankaras are present.[9]
An inscription found on a buried rock in front of the gopura at the base of the hill, dating from the late 10th century, refers to the site as Vaigai-malai, or "the mountain of Vaigai". Two other inscriptions, one found on a rock at the top of the hill and another on a rock buried beneath the steps between the gopura and the painted cave, refer to the site as Vaigai-Tirumalai, or "the holy mountain of Vaigai". The name Vaigai is therefore thought to be connected with Vaigavur, the historical name of the village at the foot of the hill.[6]
Jain temples
Kundavai Jain temple
The Kundavai Jinalaya is a 10th-century Jain temple traditionally associated with the Chola princess Kundavai Pirāttiyār. It is said to have been one of two Jain establishments commissioned by her; the other, at Dadapuram, has not survived.[10][11]
The temple is situated on the Tirumalai hill and contains an image of Mahavira flanked by two lions. It incorporates both rock-cut and structural elements and is notable for its sculptures and bas-reliefs.[12] A large monolithic Jain image at the site is described as the tallest Jain image in Tamil Nadu.[3] Footprints associated with Jain monks are also preserved near the temple in commemoration of their nirvana.[13]
The temple is associated with the Chola period and is named in a 1024 CE inscription of Rajendra Chola I. The inscription records a monetary gift for lamps and offerings to the temple. It identifies the shrine as Kundavai Jinalaya and places it within the pallisandam of Vaigavur.[7]
The present temple incorporates both excavated and structural elements. The shrine is situated on the hill and includes a rock-cut portion as well as built architectural components. The Archaeological Survey of India describes the temple as one of the principal monuments at Tirumalai and notes the site's multi-level architectural arrangement.[14]
Neminatha image
One of the most prominent monuments at Tirumalai is a large monolithic image of Neminatha, the 22nd Tirthankara. The image is approximately 16.25 feet (4.95 m) high and is carved directly from the rock. The Archaeological Survey of India describes it as a large monolithic image of Neminatha or Bahubali, while the Jain identification of the image is generally given as Neminatha.[12][14]
Other temples
Mahavira temple
A second temple dedicated to Mahavira was built to the west of the Kundavai Jinalaya. It is generally dated to the later medieval period.[3][15] The Archaeological Survey of India describes a three-tiered temple at the foothill dating to the Chola period. It consists of a sanctum, vestibule and open pillared hall enclosed by a spacious circumambulatory passage.[14]
Parshvanatha temple
A temple dedicated to Parshvanatha was subsequently constructed at the site.[3] The shrine is also known as the Araikoil and is associated with the early Vijayanagara period. It contains Jain paintings and provides evidence of the continued use and embellishment of the Tirumalai complex after the Chola period.[14]
Paintings
Paintings were added to parts of the complex between the 15th and 17th centuries, and some survive in the caves and temples. Their subject matter and style have been compared with Jain paintings at the Ellora Caves.[16]
One of the notable paintings depicts Parshvanatha beneath a five-headed serpent hood, surrounded by worshippers.[17] Another depicts the Samavasarana, the divine preaching assembly of a Tirthankara, comparable to representations at Shravanabelagola.[18] Other surviving paintings include depictions of Ambika, Parshvanatha and Bahubali.[15]
The paintings provide evidence of the continued use of the complex for Jain devotional purposes long after the construction of the principal Chola-period shrine. They are also significant to the study of Jain art in Tamil Nadu, preserving religious subjects and compositional conventions comparable to those found at other major Jain sites in southern India.[19][20]
Jain Matha
The Arahanthgiri Jain Math is a Jain Matha established near the site in August 1998.[1]
Inscriptions
Tirumalai contains numerous Jain and royal inscriptions. These records provide important evidence for the historical development of the site. They record gifts of gold, money, lamps, land and other endowments, as well as works undertaken by Jain religious figures. The inscriptions demonstrate that Tirumalai functioned as a sustained religious institution supported by rulers, merchants, local elites and Jain ascetics.[7][8]
The 1024 CE inscription of Rajendra Chola I is particularly significant because it explicitly names the temple as Kundavai Jinalaya. It is one of the principal pieces of evidence connecting the surviving Jain establishment with the royal women of the Chola court.[7] Another inscription records an exemption from taxation relating to land belonging to the Jain temple. Such records indicate that the institution possessed economic resources and participated in the agrarian revenue system.[21]
Conservation
The caves and temples at Tirumalai are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India.[14]
Gallery
See also
