Lost in History and Time: Chitharal Jain Monuments

I always wondered how come my hometown has a Jain Monument, as my native has no connection with Jainism to my Knowledge. Never cared about the monument till I decided to Blog.

Damaged Vimana at the Hill top

So I chose to blog on a place which I know it's presence from childhood but didn't know anything about it till date.

Chitharal Jain Monuments (Chitharal Malai Kovil) is located in a small hamlet named Chitharal in Kanyakumari District, Tamilnadu. It stand as vestige of Jain settlements situated on the Thiruchanattu Malai (Thiruchanattu Hillocks) locally known as Chokkanthoongi Hills.

Trekking way which leads to the hill top

It almost takes 15 mins trek to reach the hill top from the entrance. As they have created the way to hill top with less slope gradient, its not a big deal to climb.

Damaged Vimana

On reaching the hilltop, we can notice a destroyed Vimana, which was almost in good shape and symmetry. On enquiry with a local man there (Technically I can't call him a local being a local myself), I found that the vimana belonged to a Bhagavathy temple which was built in 13th Century in the same site.

Jain Monument

Climbing some steps down from vimana, one could get a glimpse of Bas- relief (Rock cut images) of Jain Tirthankaras. One can find the standing figures of Parshawanath, 23rd Tirthankara and Padmavathi (Protective Goddess of Parshawanath). 24 figures in ardha Padmasana pose (probably being all 24 Tirthankaras) is spread all along the niche. Another lady figure possibly being Ambika, who is the Protective Goddess of Neminatha (23rd Tirthankara). And at last a huge figure (Comparatively) of Mahavira is found in seated position in the central niche.

Jain Bas-relief

On digging Internet on the Jain connection of this place, I found that the Jain influence is mainly because of the Pallava Tamil Jain King, Mahendra Verman I (610-640 AD). The place is historically known as Thirucharanathupalli, the serene abode of Jain monks belonging to Digambara Sect. It is believed to be a place of meditation and Jain training centre from 9th Century CE and the Bas- relief carvings date back to 9th Century.

Bhagavathy Temple

The site was converted into Hindu Temple in 1250 AD and an image of Bhagavathy was installed and named Thirucharanmalai means "holy to the charanas". Even though it was converted to Bhagavathy temple, the bas- relief of Jains remain undamaged. This shows the attitude of people towards other religion or faith, which can still be noticed among Kanyakumari People.

Stone Inscriptions

Roaming around one could find 9 stone inscriptions in Tamil vattezheutthu, sanskrit and Malayalam dating back to 9th Century A.D. One of the stone inscriptions says that there was a Jain University at this place during 1st century BC. and Queen Kuratimarayar had donated wealth to the university. This inscription is found in Tamil Brahmi script.

Temple Pond

In front of the Bhagavathy Temple, one could find a small pond digged out of rock. During my childhood days, friends/ People used to spin a fish story regarding the same pond. The pond used to have an immortal fish which seldom dies even if we cut it into pieces.

Apart from the damaged Vimana, Jain Monument, Bhagavathy Temple and Inscriptions one could enjoy lush green environment and breathtaking view of nearby villages.

How to Reach?

By Road: 64 Kms from Thiruvananthapuram and 42 Kms from Kanniyakumari

By Train: Nearest Railway Station Kulitturai (KZT) which is 9km away

By Air: Nearest Airport Thiruvananthapuram Airport which is 64km away

Directions:

Points to Remember:

1. Hydrate yourself before hike as you cant find water on the way to hill top

2. Rocks may be slippery during rainy seasons

3. Don't do daredevil stunts at the hill top as the wind force is unpredictable

4. Show some respect to the monument without indulging in any malicious damage activities

5. Since the place is exposed to the elements, if you reach here in the afternoon, you will feel the sun all over your body

What to See?

1. Damaged Vimana

2. 24 Tirthankaras Bas-relief

3. Bhagavathy Temple

4. 9 Stone Inscriptions

What to do?

1. Good and less effort hike

2. Photography

3. Enjoy nature in its pristine form

What to taste?

1. Will find one or two local shops selling soda and bottled water

What to Shop?

1. Same local shop selling lemonade (locally called Bonji)