Anaimalai Jain Temple, Madurai

Address

Anaimalai Jain Temple, Anaimalai, Narasingam, Ottakkadai, Madurai District – 625107.

Diety

Tirthankars

Introduction

Anaimalai is a hill station located in Ottakkadai in the Eastern Union Territory of Tamil Nadu, India. It is located 7 km north of Madurai on the Trichy National Highway. Anaimalai, located in a small town called Madurai Ottakkadai, has long been an important Jain site. Named Narasingamangalam in the 9th century, the town is now known as Narasingam. At the base of the cave, there are 20 Samana stone beds and a 2nd century AD Tamil Brahmi inscription.

Puranic Significance

Anaimalai important Jain village as a base, has been prolonged. Narasingamangalam was the city name in 9th century A.D. Its became Narasingam. A cave over here having 20 Jain rock beds and Tamil Brahmi Inscription dates back to 2nd century A.D. Tirtankas Mahavir, Neminath, Parshvanath a, Komatesvarar(bahubali), Ambika Iyakki statues carved in north slope of the mountain with color painted such Yellow, Red, Green etc. There are some mythological stories behind the statues carved here. These carvings are equivalent to Sithanna Vaasal paintings. Kamatan, a monster attacks Parshvanath with a rock. Tarnentiran the five-headed cobra protect him from the top. Padmavathi Iyakki defend those two from Kamatan with her Vajra umbrella. Kamatan failed, capitulation to Parshvanath in terms of the lotus. Bahubali is with his two sisters.