Antiquity of Adinath Jain Temple at Polal

V. G. Nair’s study examines the antiquity of the Ādinātha (Adeeswar) Jain temple at Pōlūr (Polal) near Chennai. The temple is traditionally associated with Ṛṣabhadeva (Ādinātha), the first Tīrthaṅkara, and the author marshals legends, epigraphic evidence and architectural analysis to argue that it predates the 1st century B.C.E. A local chronicle recounts that the early Jain monk Kundakunda stayed at Polal and commissioned a temple dedicated to Ādinātha. Nair analyses copper‑plate grants and stone inscriptions from the Pallava and Chola periods that refer to a Jaina shrine at Perūr (Polal) and endow it with land. The article also examines iconographic features such as seated and standing Jina images, yakṣa‑yakṣiṇī pairs, and Tamil‐Brahmi inscriptions. By comparing the temple’s plan with other early Jaina caves, the author suggests that it belongs to the earliest phase of structural Jain temples in South India. A contemporary guide to temples notes that the Adeeswar temple near Chennai is an ancient Jain shrine dating back before the 1st century B.C., dedicated to Ṛṣabhadeva (Adeeswar) and situated near Red Hill Lake off the Grand Trunk Road. Nair situates the temple within the context of Tamil Jain communities, describing how it survived periods of decline and was restored in the 20th century. The article underscores the temple’s role as a pilgrimage centre where annual festivals honour Ṛṣabhadeva and emphasises its contribution to the continuity of Jain heritage in Tamil Nadu.

Summary reviewed by a volunteer editor.