Tirumalai

Jaina monuments at the hill of Tirumalai

Tirumalai is a hill site sacred to the Jainas. It has a large number of Jaina temples, smaller shrines, substantial rot-cut caves and pādukās. At the bottom of the hill is a maṭha.

Neminātha Temple No. I

An unusually open plan is present in the first Neminātha Temple, located below the hill at Tirumalai. In this construction, two open pillared halls (maṇḍapas), positioned on separate vertical levels, were added at different points in time at the front of a closed hall. The closed hall (maṇḍapa) appears to have been part of the original temple layout. The consecutive temple sections date from the Rāṣṭrakūṭa, the Coḷa and the Vijayanagara periods.

View towards the temple gopuram from the southeas © Julia A.B. Hegewald

View to the temple from the east © Julia A.B. Hegewald

View to the temple from the south © Julia A.B. Hegewald

Neminātha Temple No. II and rock-carvings

The neighbouring second Neminātha Temple has as a large open hall, two further closed halls (maṇḍapas) and an vestibule (antarāla). The first closed hall as well as the antarāla display further religious representations for veneration by devotees. Next to the temple, structural building elements have been erected around rock-carvings, adorning the rocky hill site. These provide access to the carved statues on various superimposed levels.