Jain Origin of a Hindu Temple
By S. Padmanabhan
Summary
The article **Jain Origin of a Hindu Temple** investigates the temple of Nagaraja at Nagercoil in Tamil Nadu and argues that it was originally a Jain temple. Five granite inscriptions dated Kollam Era 681‑697 (about 1506‑1522 AD) record gifts of land and donations for the serpent deity and describe the custodians as Gunaveerapandithan and Kamalavahana. These inscriptions use the terms *Palli* and *Pallichandam*, which in Tamil epigraphy refer to Jain or non‑Brahmanical temples and the land granted to them. A later inscription from Kollam Era 764 omits these Jain terms, implying that around 1588 AD the temple was taken over by Hindus. The article notes that the pillars of the temple contain sculpted images of Jain Tirthankaras: a standing figure under a five‑hooded serpent representing Pārśvanātha, a seated Tirthankara with lion throne representing Mahāvīra and a goddess under a three‑headed serpent identified as Padmāvatī. Early Tamil hymns by Thirugnānasambandar refer to a Jain settlement at Kottar (near Nagercoil), while inscriptions at Thiruchcharanathumalai reveal that King Varaguna of the Ay dynasty was a devout Jain and established a Jain study centre (sangham) there. The author recounts a legend from the *Uttarapurāṇa* in which a serpent couple, after hearing Pārśvanātha’s hymns, are reborn as snake king and queen and later revere him; this legend explains why serpent images guard the temple entrance. Eventually the temple deity became known as Ānandakṛṣṭa (Sri Kṛṣṇa), and the Jain sculptures were interpreted as Hindu snake gods. By comparing epigraphic evidence, iconography and regional legends, the article concludes that the present Hindu temple of Nagaraja was built over an earlier Jain shrine dedicated to Padmāvatī and Dharanendra and that its conversion occurred in the late 16th century.
Conclusion
Through inscriptional analysis and iconographic study, this paper demonstrates that Nagercoil’s serpent temple originated as a Jain sanctuary. The use of words like *Palli* and *Pallichandam* in early grants, the presence of Tirthankara and Yakṣī images and the absence of Hindu deities strongly indicate Jain ownership. Later neglect and eventual takeover by Hindus led to the reinterpretation of these sculptures as Nāgarāja and Padmāvatī. The study underscores how socio‑political change can transform religious sites while leaving behind material traces of their original identity.