FlorenciaMacDevi at 23:53, 28 March 2026

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{{short description|Pair of villages in Tamil Nadu, India}}{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2019}}{{Infobox settlement
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'''Thirupanamoor''' and '''Karanthai''' are twin villages about 19 km from [[Kanchipuram]]. They host historically important [[Jain]] temples containing historical inscriptions.<ref>R. Umamaheshwari, Reading History with
the Tamil Jainas, A Study on Identity, Memory, and Marginalisation, Springer/Indian Institute of Advanced Study, 2017 p. 153-165</ref> There is a population of local Jains in these and nearby villages.<ref name="NX1">{{cite news | url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2019/feb/28/tamil-nadu-village-prays-for-safe-return-of-pilot-abhinandan-1944821.html | title=Tamil Nadu village prays for safe return of pilot Abhinandan | newspaper=The New Indian Express | date=28 February 2019}}</ref>

Thirupanamoor village has a Jain temple dedicated to Lord [[Pushpadanta]] that houses a rare gilded plaster image of him, with hundreds of brass images and a library. It is believed to have been the home of Acharya [[Akalanka]] Deva. The temple has footprints of Jain munis Dharmasagar, Sudharmasagar and Gajapati Sagar, who attained ''[[sallekhana]]''. The village is the ancestral home of Wing Commander [[Abhinandan Varthaman]] and his father, retired Air Marshal Simhakutty Varthaman.<ref name="NX1" />
[[File:Thirupanamur Digambar Jain Temple.jpg|thumb|Thirupanamur Digambar Jain Temple]]
[[File:Karandai Digambar Jain Temple.jpg|thumb|Karandai Digambar Jain Temple complex]]

The Samadhi of Acharya [[Akalanka]] Deva: Between Thirupanamoor and Karanthai lies a memorial with ''chhatris'' with footprints of ancient Jain sages including the samadhi of [[logician]] and [[Sanskritist]] Acharya Akalanka Deva, who is known for his discussion of [[Anekantavada]]. He was the founder of the Deva Sangha order of Digambar monks.

Karanthai has a complex of well known Jain temples.<ref>R. Umamaheshwari, Tiruppanamur-Karandai Revisit: Late February and Early March 2015, Community Narratives, Inscriptional Records: A Chronicle of Journeys Through Tamil Jaina Villages, Springer, 2018 p. 172</ref> This was once a site where Jain munis resided, and hence it is termed Munigiri. This is also the site associated with famed Jain logician Acharya [[Akalanka]] (720-780), and hence is also called Akalankabasti.<ref>Tamilnadu Digambar Jain Tirthakshetra Sandarshan, Bharatvarshiya Digambar Jain Tirtha Samrakshini MahaSabha, 2001, p. 51-52</ref> The Jain complex has three temples. The main temple is dedicated to Lord [[Kunthunath]], believed to have been established by [[Pallava]] ruler Nandivarma circa 806-896 AD. The Mahavira temple to the south is from the 12th century. The [[Rishabhanatha|Adinath]] temple, and the adjacent shrine of Goddess Kushmandini ([[Ambika (Jainism)|Ambika]]) is from the 15th century. A [[Brahmadeva|Brhmadeva]] shrine lies to the southwest.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://tamilnadu-favtourism.blogspot.com/2017/02/kunthunathar-jain-temple-karanthai.html | title=Kunthunathar Jain Temple, Karanthai | date=12 February 2017 | publisher=tamilnadu-favtourism.blogspot.com}}</ref>

A ''[[panchakalyanaka]]'' was conducted there in 1991 and in 2017 to install new Jain images.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/jains-celebrate-life-of-tirthankara-through-pancha-kalyana-fest/articleshow/57242182.cms | title=Jains celebrate life of Tirthankara through 'Pancha Kalyana' Fest | newspaper=Times Of India | date=20 February 2017}}</ref> Every year in Falguna month, a ''brahmostavam'' is celebrated. Special worship is conducted on Akshaya Tritiya, Mahavir Jayanti, Diwali, Jinaratri and Vasant Panchami.

The Karanthai complex is famous for its Vijayanagar period murals.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/Directive-to-Endowments-department-on-renovation-of-temples/article16855158.ece | title=Directive to Endowments department on renovation of temples | newspaper=The Hindu | date=25 December 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/history-and-culture/targets-of-destruction/article2109633.ece | title=Targets of destruction | first=T. S. | last=Subramanian | newspaper=The Hindu | date=16 June 2011}}</ref>

Karandai was the village of the author of classic Tamil text ''[[Naṉṉūl]]'', Pavanandi. The Dharumasagar library contains historical manuscripts. It was set up by Jeevabandhu T. S. Sripal in 1930s who was from Thirupanamoor.{{fact|date=November 2025}}

This is also the hometown of [[Abhinandan Varthaman]].{{fact|date=November 2025}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Religion}}
*[[Jainism in Tamil Nadu]]
* [[Kanchipuram#Jainism|Kanchipuram Jainism]]
*[[Mandalapuruder]]
*[[Mel Sithamur Jain Math]]
*[[Trilokyanatha Temple]] in Thiruparthikundram, [[Kanchipuram]]
*[[Thiruvannamalai]]

==References==

{{reflist}}

{{Jain temples}}
{{Jainism Topics}}

{{coord missing|Tamil Nadu}}

[[Category:Jain temples in Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Historic sites in Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:9th-century Jain temples]]

Karanthai - Revision history

FlorenciaMacDevi at 23:53, 28 March 2026