Ponnur Hill Jain Temple Complex, Kundakunda Acharya Paduka / Tapobhumi of Acharya Kund Kund Dev / பொன்னூர் மலை ( ஆச்சார்யா குந்து குந்து தேவ் தபோபூமி ), Ponnur Hill, Tiruvannamalai District, Tamil Nadu.

This Ponnur Hills also called as Nilgiri Hills and renamed as Kund Kund Nagar during recent years. Sri 108 Kunda Kunda Acharya’s padas / foot prints with Mahaveera Idol and Sri Kund Kund acharya meditated cave are on the top of the Hill. The Dharma Chakra stupi is at the beginning of the Steps. The steps are neatly laid up to the Acharya Tapobhumi with a resting Mandapa at the middle. The Temple / mandapa was built with Mahavira Tirthankara image on the back of old and new foot prints of Acharya Kund kund. There is a natural cave is covered with a new structure during recent years. It is believed that Sri 108 Kund Kund Acharya meditated in this cave. 

மங்கலம் பகவான் வீரோ மங்கலம் கௌத மோகணீ !

மங்கலம் குந்த குந்தார்யோ நஜன தர்மோஸ்து மங்கலம் !!

ஸ்வஸ்தி ஸ்ரீ வீரநிர்வான ஆண்டு 2522 கார்த்திகை சுத்தம் திரியோதசி திதி, ஞாயிர்றுகிழமை (05-11-1995 ) குந்த குந்த ஆம்னாயம் மூல சங்கம் பலாத்கார கணம் ஆச்சார்ய ஸ்ரீ வித்யாசாகர் நல் சீடர் ஸ்ரீ 108 ஆர்ஜவசாகர் முனிவர்தம் திருமுன் தமிழ்நாடு பொன்னுர் மலை( நீலகிரி )யில் ஆசாரிய குந்த குந்தர் திருவடி அருகில் பகவான் மஹாவீரர் திகம்பர பழமையான அதிசய ஜிந பிம்பம் பிரதிஷ்டை செய்யப்பட்டது.. சுபமஸ்து.

The Mahaveera Tithankara’s old image was installed on the back side of Kunda Kunda Archarya’s padas /foot prints on 05^th November 1995, in presence of Acharya Sri Vidhyasagar’s disciple Sri 108 Arjavasagar Muni.

பரம பூஜய குந்த குந்த ஆசாரிய தேவரின் பழமையான பாத சுவடுகள் தொடர்ந்து சிதிலமடைந்து வருவதை கண்டு சாரித்ர சக்ரவர்தி பிரதம ஆசாரியர் பரம் பூஜ்ய சாந்தி ஸாகர்ஜி மஹாராஜின் பரம்பரை நிகழ்கால ஆசாரியர் ஸ்ரீ வர்தமான் ஸாகர்ஜி அவர்களின் ஸத் சங்கத்தின் வழிகாட்டுதலோடு கிபி 2006 ஆம் ஆண்டு சாதுர் மாதத்தில் இந்த புதிய பாதங்கள் ஸ்ரீ குந்த குந்த தபோகிரி நிர்வாகம் கமிட்டியின் பொன்னூர்மலை, பொன்னூர் உறுப்பினர்களால் நிறுவப்பட்டது. யாத்ரிகர் பழமையான பாத சுவடுகளை தரிசனம் செய்து, புதிய பாத சுவடுகளில் அபிசேகம் செய்யுமாறு கேட்டுக்கொள்ளப்படுகிறார்கள் ஸ்ரீ குந்த குந்த ஆச்சார்ய கமிட்டி பொன்னூர்.

Due to deterioration of Kund Kund Acharyas 2000 and odd years old foot prints, a new foot print was installed under the guidance of Acharya Sri Vardhaman Sagarji, who is descendant of Sarithra Chakravarthi Piratham Acharyar Parama poojya Shanthi Sagarji Maharaj, by the Ponnur Administration. Hence it was requested to do abhishek to the new foot prints  

Brief History of Kund Kund Acharya..

Acharya Kund kund as  Padmanandi, was born in a small Village Konakondla in Vairakarur near Guntakal in Andhra Pradesh. But he was called in the name of the Village as kund Kund. He did penance in a small natural cave on the Poonur Hills and authored about 84 books on Jainism in palm leaves. These books mainly covers the Jain principles of Right faith, Right Knowledge and right Conduct.   

HILL TEMPLE TIMINGS

Worship times are 05.00 hrs to 11.30 hrs and 16.00 hrs to 19.30. Usually the Vathiyar will do pooja around 07.00 hrs and will come back to base temple and nobody will stay there.

Believed that Acharya Kund Kund  did penance in this Cave 

Believed that Acharya Kund Kund  did penance in this Cave 

Believed that Acharya Kund Kund  did penance in this Cave 

KUND KUND NAGAR

The Base complex Kund Kund Nagar consists of, Kund Kund ashram, Sri Adinatha Jinalaya, Guest Houses for the Pilgrims stay, Thiyagi Bhavan, Samosaran and Thirukural Mandapa with research centre.

The Adinatha Tirthankara Jinalaya has the images of Adinatha Tirthankara, Parshvanatha and Chandraprabha are worshipped.

HISTORY OF THE BASE COMPLEX

To construct Kund Kund ashram, Sri Adinath Tirthankara Jinalaya and Samosaran, a land measuring 6 acres and 29 cents was bought. In this 29 cent was donated & registered to ( Sri 108 Kund Kund alias Elachariyar’s Thirukkural in Tamil ), Thirukkural mandapam. This was gifted by, Jengampoondi Sri Sa  Sridhara Nainar, a dharmakartha.

Sri 108 Kund Kund foot prints front Mandapa, out side flooring and roof was constructed. For the same the required fund of Rs 9500 was gifted by Sri Delhi Shahi Jain’s wife Ramabhai Ammal. Neminatha Swami Jinalaya was gifted by Krishnagiri Vasudeva Nainar’s wife Kanchanamalai Ammal.

This Digambara Jinalaya, which includes Sri Sri Manthira Swami, was gifted by Jegampoondi Sridhara Nayinar’s Son Sundara Kumara nayinar.

This jinalaya, which includes Sri Adi Tirthankara was gifted by Marudur J Chinnathambi Nainar’s wife Sugavathy Ammal.  

As per the order of Melsithamur Svathi Sri Lakshmi Sena Bhattaraka Bhattacharya  Swamy’s order, Sri Kund Kund Ashram Panchakuta Jinalaya’s, Pushpanjali nonbu and Pancha kalyana vaibhavam was performed on 14^th February 1975, from the own fund of Sridhara nainar’s Son Sundara Kumara Nainar.

HOW TO REACH

This Ponnur Hills is about 10 KM from Vandavasi, 38 KM from Uthramerur, 43 KM from Melmaruvathur, 46 KM from Tindivanam and 133 KM from Chennai.

Nearest Railway Station is  Tindivanam, where all trains will stop.

LOCATION OF PONNUR HILLS       : CLICK HERE

Thirukkural mandapam 

SAMOSARAN

Chaturmukha Tirthankara

Looking from the Hill

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---

Sri 1008 Adhinathar Digambar Jain Temple / ஸ்ரீ 1008 ஆதிநாதர் திகம்பரர் சமணர் கோயில், Ponnur, Tiruvannamalai District, Tamil Nadu.

The Visit to this Sri Adinathar Digambar Jain temple was a part of “Gajaprsihta / Gajabrushta Vimana Shiva temple at Vallam and Jain Temples at Ponnur and Ponnur Hills Visit”, on 22^nd October 2023. This is one of the oldest Jain temples of Tiruvannamalai District in Tamil Nadu, Ponnur where the temple is still under worship. Ponnur was also called as Swarnapuram. 

Moolavar : Sri Adinathar

Some of the salient features of the temple are…

The temple is facing east on raised level of about 10 feet from the ground with an access through steps. Dwajasthambam base, Balipeedam and manasthambam are in front of the temple. Moolavar Adhinathar is in sitting posture. Samaradharis are on both side and mukkudai is on the top. A prarabhai is shown on back of his head and a thindu is also shown on the back. Parshvanath is in the mukha mandapam.

In praharam, Brahma Devar, Elephant and an Amman is on the wall and Kund Kund Acharya, Navagrahas. Bahubali / Gomateshwara  statue was erected and the structure is under construction.

 Acharya Kund Kund

Pada

CONSTRUCTION

The temple complex was built about 10 feet above the ground level. Steps are on the north side to climb up.  The temple consists of Sanctum sanctorum, antarala, ardha mandapam and a mukha mandapam.  The sanctum sanctorum is of two tiers on a pada bandha adhistanam with jagathy, Muppattai kumudam and pattikai. The Bhitti starts with vedika. The Pilasters are of brahma kantha pilasters with kalasam, kudam, lotus petals mandi, palakai and Poo mottu pothyal. The Kostas are of sala style.

The Prastaram consists of Valapi with lotus petals, kapotam with nasi kudus and viyyalavari. The nasikudus are with Keerthi mukhas and bhutas images are at the centre. Some of the bhutas are with thiruman on their forehead ( may be constructed during Vijayanagaras period ). The Vimana above Bhumidesam is of vesara style. Tirthankara’s images are in the Tala and greeva Kostas. Simhas are on the greevam.

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

As per the inscriptions this Jain temple belongs to 13^th century or even earlier. The same may be reconstructed during Vijayanagara period.

Ref

“A book on Reading History with the Tamil Jains : A Study on Identity memory and… Vandavasi ( Wandiwash of the Colonial Times) and Ponnur, North Arcot: 2003, by R Umamaheswari.

R Umamaheswari says… There were around 150 Tamil Jaina families settled here, I was informed and population of approximately 700-1000. This seemed, by far, the largest concentration of this community in one place that I had visited. They were all educated, and most of them were employed in different sectors ( private and public ). People gathered every week on a Friday evening ( I met them too, on a Friday evening ) at the Jaina temple here. I was told that I must pay a visit to Ponnur malai, which was not very far from Vandavasi. That was the most frequented sacred site for the people residing in Vandavasi.

The 1256 CE, 7^th reign year of Maravarman Vikrama Pandya ( ARE 415 of 1928-1929 ). Adinatha temple - Records that the nattavar of Vidalparru assigned taxes payable by those settling in the paļļi viļakam of Adinatha, to provide for worship and repairs. ( Ekambaranathan 1987, p. 244)

The 1733 CE, inscription at Adinatha temple ( ARE 415 of 1928-1929  ).

Jainas of Svarnapura 2 Kanakagiri should take images of Parsvanatha and Jvalamalini amman from temple of Adisvara every Sunday to Nilagiriparvata situated to the north-west of the temple at the time of the weekly worship of Helacarya. ( Ibid. p. 245). ( The Hill Nilagiri arvata mentioned here may be the Ponnur Hills ).

Desai writes,

Svarnapura is evidently identical with Ponnur. The Nilagiri Hill which also figures in the legend of Helacharya has still retained the name, being three miles away from Ponnur. The icons of Parsvanatha and Jvalamalini mentioned in the epigraph are probably the metallic images preserved in the temple of Adinatha to the present day or their earlier substitute... Judging from the earlier Jaina inscriptions found here and the tradition connecting it with Heļacharya Ponnur appears to have been a renowned stronghold of Jainism from earlier times ( Desai, Epigraphia Indica, XXIX, p. 202).

Sanskrit name of Ponnur, Ep. Ind, Vol XXIX, p.199ff-'Helacarya monk of Dravida gana, native of Hemagrama, Ponnur. Helacarya's feet carved on Nilagiri hill, north-west of the Jaina temple'.

Believed to be the 2^nd tallest ( 24 Feet ) Bahubali statue was installed at this temple in presence of Thirumalai Arakanthgiri Jain Math Dr Dhavala Keerthi Bhattaraka Bhattacharya Swamigal, 0n 10^th May 2023.

There is a 18^th to 19^th Century inscription tablet installed at the base of the temple.    

The Pancha kalyana Prathishta mahostava memorial keerthi sthamba was installed on the ground level 08^th June 1997 to 12^th June 1997.

TEMPLE TIMINGS

The temple will be kept opened between 05.30 hrs to 11.30 hrs and 17.30 hrs to 20.30 hrs.

CONTACT DETAILS

The mobile number +91 97914 12241 may be contacted for further details.

HOW TO REACH

Ponnur is on the south west of Vandavasi, can be approached from Vandavasi to Polur Road and Vandavasi to Tindivanam road. 10 KM from Vandavasi, 41 KM from Tindivanam & Acharapakkam and 133 KM from Chennai. 

Nearest Railway Station is Acharapakkam & Tindivanam

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE : CLICK HERE

Solar eclipse, bas relief on the mandapam ceiling 

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---