Hyderabad: Jainism flourished for nearly 2,000 years in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, from the 4th Century BC to the 13th Century AD and up to the 16th Century in some areas.
The ruling dynasties in both regions like the Kakatiyas of Telangana and the Vengi Chalukya of Andhra Pradesh used to follow Jainsim. Both later converted to Hinduism.
Early Jain literature mentions Podan as the capital of Bahubali, son of the first Jain tirthankara and founder of Jainism, Rishabha. According to some archaeologists and historians, Podan is the present-day Bodhan of Nizamabad.
Even though Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have such a rich history of Jainism, very little of it is known. Only a few Jain monuments have survived the test of time.
As of now, both states have about 42 Jain archaeological sites. Of this, just four in Telangana and six in Andhra Pradesh are protected by archaeology departments. A Jain monument in Andhra Pradesh is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
Special attention of the state and Centre is required to conserve these sites and develop them as tourist destinations. According to archaeologists, Jainism started its decline in the region around 13th Century BC due to the aggressive rise of Veerashaivism from Karnataka.
As a result of the strict rules of Jainism, the masses started moving away from Jainism to Veerashaivism which was soon adopted by the elites.
Many Jain temples were converted to Hindu temples by replacing the statues of tirthankaras with Shiva Lingas. The process was aggressive in Andhra Pradesh and as a result, not many Jain sites are left in the state, compared to Telangana.
Famous Hindu temples in Telangana like Vemulavada, Basar and Padmakshi temples were once Jain temples. The famous temple of Hindu goddess Saraswati in Basar is actually of the Jain Saraswati.
At Padmakshi temple in Warangal, the statues of tirthankaras engraved on walls are now worshiped as local deities. The now-abandoned Deval Mosque in Bodhan in Telangana, was once a Jain temple, which was converted to a mosque by Mohammad bin Tughlaq in the 13th Century.
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