Thursday, 17 October 2024

Sri Mallinathaswamy Jain Temple/ மல்லிநாதசுவாமி ஜெயின் கோவில், மன்னார்குடி/Mannargudi, Thiruvarur District, Tamil Nadu.

The Visit to this Sri Mallinatha Swamy Jain Temple at Mannargudi was a part of the “Visit to Shiva, Murugan, Divya Desams, Buddha, and Jain Temples around Nagapattinam” on 4th September 2024.

The Thirthankara at the center was in the sanctum sanctorum before the present Mallinatha Swamy
 
This Mallinatha Swamy Jain Temple is dedicated to the 19th Tirthankara of Jainism. It is close to the Sri Rajagopala Swamy temple of Mannargudi, and it was said that both temples belong to the same period.

Main Deity: Sri Mallinathaswamy

Some of the salient features of this temple are….
The temple faces east with a 3-tier Rajagopuram. Stucco images of Tirthankaras are on the Rajagopuram. Dwajasthambam and Balipeedam are after the Rajagopuram. Stucco Dwarapalakas are at the entrance of the Sanctum Sanctorum. Mallinathar is in the Sanctum Sanctorum.

In praharam, Dharmadevi, Padmavathi, Sudarsanam, Jwalamalini, and Kshetrapala. An old Tirthankara image is in the outer praharam.

 Mallinathaswamy

 Believed to be the original Mallinathaswamy



 Brahmadeva
ARCHITECTURE
The Complete temple was constructed with Bricks and painted. The temple Sanctum Sanctorum, antarala, ardha mandapam, mandapas, and mukha mandapa are in 7 stages to signify the cycle of the Soul.

The sanctum sanctorum is on a upanam and adhistanam. The adhistanam is of pada bandha adhistanam with jagathy, threepatta kumudam, and pattikai. The Bhitti starts with Vedikai. The Pilasters are of Brahma kantha pilasters with kalasam, kudam, and palakai. The prastaram consists of valapi with madhalai and kapotam with Nasikudus. The two tala vesara Vimanam is on the prastaram ( Bhumi Desam ). Tirthankaras are on the tala and greeva koshtam.

The Balipeedam is under a Mandapam. The intricate shapes, like some designs, flowers, leaves, etc, are obtained by grinding the bricks.




Balipeeda mandapam - The bricks are shaped  to form like this
 Balipeeda mandapam - built with bricks

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS
It is believed that the temple belongs to the 12th-century Chozha period. Since the whole temple was constructed with bricks, no inscriptions have been found to prove its antiquity. This place was called Rajamapuram. It was said that this name is always used to identify among the Tamil Samanars living in Mannargudi. 

The Moolavar in the sanctum was installed in recent years ( 1986 ). The previous Moolavar images are installed in a Sub Sanctum.

A Tirthankara image is kept under a tree in the praharam, believed to be the original one. 

The present structure of the mandapas and sub-shrines was added to the original temple in stages.

A 20th-century, Tamil PiRamathi year (84 Years before, maybe 1940) inscription on a pillar records the construction of the mandapam. As per the inscription, this mandapam was constructed by Kumbakonam Sami Jain’s Son, Appachi Jain.



CONTACT DETAILS
Mr Babu / Manikandan Jain ( EB, Mannargudi ) may be contacted on his mobile at +919943835819 for further details.

HOW TO REACH
This Mallinatha Swamy Jain Temple in Mannargudi is on the west side of Mannargudi Theppakulam (Haridranadhi tank) on the bypass Road, 1.43 km from Mannargudi Sri Rajagopalaswami Temple, 2.8 km from Mannargudi Railway Station, 28 km from Thiruvarur, and 40 km from Thanjavur.
The nearest Railway Station is Mannargudi.

LOCATION OF THIS JAIN TEMPLE:   CLICK HERE



--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA---

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