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{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2015}}
{{Jainism}}
[[Jainism]], one of the three most ancient Indian religious traditions still in existence, has very small presence (0.01%) in [[Kerala]], in south India. According to the 2011 [[Census of India|India Census]], Kerala only has around 4500 Jains, most of them in the city of [[Kochi|Cochin]] and in [[Wayanad district]].

Medieval Jain inscriptions are mostly found on the borders of Kerala proper, such as in Wayanad in the north-east, [[Alathur]] in the [[Palakkad Gap|Palghat Gap]] and [[Chitharal Jain Monuments|Chitharal]] in [[Kanyakumari district|Kanyakumari District]]. Epigraphical evidence suggests that the shrine at "Tirukkunavay", perhaps located near [[Kochi|Cochin]], 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.<ref name=":0" />

Some of the Jain temples in Kerala were incorporated by the [[Hinduism|Hindus]] 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.<ref name=":0" />

== 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 Empire|Maurya]] emperor [[Chandragupta Maurya]] (died ''c.'' 297 BCE), accompanied by Jain sage [[Acharya Bhadrabahu|Bhadrabahu I]], made the pilgrimage to [[Shravanabelagola|Sravana Belgola]] (in present-day [[Karnataka]]). Their followers might have journeyed further south, into present day [[Tamil Nadu]] and Kerala.

A number of caves, donated by the early historic [[Chera dynasty|Chera chieftains]] to the Jains, can be found in the [[Karur|Karur-Pugaliyur]] region of western Tamil Nadu. [[Uthiyan Cheralathan|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|sallekhana vrata]]''. Utiyan Cheral was wounded on the back by his Chola rival [[Karikala]] in a battle.<ref name=":0">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.</ref>

=== Late medieval to early modern Kerala ===
[[File:Jain Art & Carvings at Chitharal Hill Temple.JPG|thumb|Images of [[Mahavira]], Devi and [[Parshvanatha|Parsvanatha]] in [[Chitharal Temple]], [[Kanyakumari district|Kanyakumari]]|380x380px]]
[[File:Ruined jain temple in Wayanad - interior.jpg|thumb|Interior of Jain temple, [[Wayanad]] ]]

[[Ilango Adigal|Ilamko Atikal]], who is traditionally credited as the author of the Tamil epic ''[[Silappatikaram|Chilappatikaram]]'', was probably a resident of a Jain vihara known as "Kunavayir kottam". Some scholars identify Kunavayir kottam with Tirukkunavay[il] or Trikkana Matilakam, now known as [[Mathilakam|Matilakam]], a village near [[Kochi|Cochin]]. Matilakam was also known as "Gunaka" and "Kunaka" in the medieval period (''Kokasandesa'', slokas 45-48).<ref name=":0" /> Archaeological excavations conducted at Matilakam in 1970, revealed an 8th-9th century CE foundation, structurally different from the standard Hindu temple foundations in shape.<ref name=":0" />

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.<ref name=":0" />

Inscriptions mentioning the Tirukkunavay<ref name=":0" />

* Tiruvannur/Tirumannur Inscription: royal order of the [[Chola dynasty|Chola]] emperor [[Rajaraja I]] (c. 1044 CE), from Tiruvannur Temple, near [[Kozhikode|Calicut]] (the temple is a now [[Shiva|Siva]] temple)<ref name=":0" />
*[[Alathur]] (Godapuram) Inscription (c. 11th century) - Images of Mahavira with the Gandharvas, and Parsvanatha have been recovered from Alattur.<ref name=":0" />
* Talakkavu Inscription: from Talakkavu in Putadi, [[Wayanad district|Wynad]] (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.<ref name=":0" />
* Kinalur Inscription (1083 CE) - connects Kota Ravi "Vijayaraga" (c. 883 - 913 CE),<ref name=":0" /> the [[Chera dynasty|Chera]] king at [[Kodungallur]], with "Kunvay-Nallur". The location of the Jain temple is now lost to the scholars.<ref name=":0" />

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 [[Shiva|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).<ref name=":0" />

Other Hindu temples in Kerala with Jain characteristics are

* [[Kallil Temple|Kallil]], [[Perumbavoor]] - Images of Mahavira, and Padmavati (worshiped as the Bhagavati) and [[Parsvanatha]] can be found in the temple.<ref name=":0" />
* Paruvasseri, Peechi (Palliyara Kavu Bhagavati Temple)<ref name=":0" />
* Bhagavati Temple, Tiruccanattu Malai, [[Chitharal Jain Monuments|Chitharal]], Kulithura - Images of Mahavira, Devi (destroyed) and Parsvanatha can be found in the temple.<ref name=":0" />

=== Jainism in modern Kerala ===
[[File:Jain temple, Wayanad IMG 3494 by Joseph Lazer.jpg|thumb|[[Jain Temple, Kidanganad]] ]]

Some Jain shrines from early historic and medieval times still remain, notably in [[Jainamedu]], near [[Vadakkanthara]], [[Palghat]], and in [[Sultan Battery]] in [[Wayanad]]. [[Koodalmanikyam Temple]] in [[Irinjalakuda]] is believed to have been a Jain temple. The assumption is that it was dedicated to Bharateswara, a digambara Jain monk.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=px5BAAAAMAAJ&q=koodalmanikkam+temple+jain |title=Cultural heritage of Kerala: an introduction - A. Sreedhara Menon |date=1980-01-01 |access-date=2012-06-02|last1=Sreedhara Menon |first1=A. }}</ref> Some Jain temples located in modern-day Kerala are: [[Anantnath Swami Temple]] (Puliyarmala Jain Temple) in Puliyarmala, outside [[Kalpetta]], [[Jain Temple, Kidanganad]], Wayanad, [[Jainimedu Jain temple|Jainimedu Jain Temple]], [[Kattil Madam Temple]], [[Jain temple, Alleppey]], [[Kallil Temple]] in [[Perumbavoor]], [[Kochi Jain temple|Dharmanath Jain Temple]], [[Mattancherry]], Shri Vasupujya Swami Jain Temple, Srinivasa Mallan Road, [[Kochi]], Cochin Digambar Jain Mandir, [[Panampilly Nagar]], [[Kochi]], [[Manjeshwar#Places of worship|Chathurmukha Basati]], [[Manjeshwar]] and [[Manjeshwar#Places of worship|Parswanatha Basati]], [[Manjeshwar]].

==Photo gallery==
<gallery>
File:Jaina2.jpg|[[Anantnath Swami Temple]]
File:Kerala jain temple.jpg|[[Kochi Jain temple|Dharmanath Jain Temple]] in [[Mattancherry]], [[Kochi]]
File:Jain stone temple in wayanad 02.jpg|Visnugudi Basadi Jain Temple, [[Panamaram]]
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]], [[Palakkad]]
File:Manjeshwar Jain Temple.JPG|Jain temple in [[Manjeshwar]]
File:Jain-temple-alleppey.jpg|[[Jain temple, Alleppey]]
File:Shri Vasupujya Swami Jain Temple.jpg|Shri Vasupujya Swami Jain Temple
</gallery>

==See also==

*[[Jainism in Karnataka|Jainism]]
*[[Buddhism]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Jainism in Kerala}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080407114644/http://www.jaintirths.com/art1/kallil.htm Kallil photo]

{{external media
| align=left
| width = 250px
| video1=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsMxWNvsv7Q Documentary on Jainism in Kerala]
| video2=[http://video.webindia123.com/new/tourism/wayanad/jaintemple/index.htm Documentary on Jain temples in Kerala]
}}

{{Jain temples}}
{{Jainism topics}}
{{Topics related to Kerala}}

[[Category:Jainism in Kerala| ]]
[[Category:Jain communities]]
[[Category:Social history of Kerala]]

Jainism in Kerala - Revision history

CleanupBot II at 07:28, 14 August 2023