How a priest in TN has been retrieving, protecting ‘abandoned’ old sculptures of Jain tirthankaras

“After I joined the Shri Parshvanath Shwethamber Murtipujak Sangh Jain Mandir in Tirukalukundram as a priest in 1997, I would hear stories from visitors about sculptures of Tirthankaras lying neglected in many parts of Tamil Nadu. This piqued my interest,” recalls the 49-year-old, a native of the town. But when he informed the members of the temple committee about his wish to locate and preserve these artefacts, he recalls being told to pursue in his free time since they were unable to engage an additional priest to share in his temple duties. “So I started with the nearby districts,” recalls Jeevakumar, adding that as he travelled in quest to recover these tirthankara statues, he found some being mistakenly identified as those of the Buddha or local Hindu deities and being worshipped as such.

“When I first visited a village in Kancheepuram on my bike, the locals stopped me from photographing the sculpture of Mahavira (the 24th and last Tirthankara of Jainism). They suspected I was a smuggler and questioned me extensively. I had to persuade them of my intentions,” says Jeevakumar.

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The beginning was made in 2010 and since then Jeevakumar says he has identified 30 sculptures, most of which were in ruins, from districts including Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu and Tiruvallur. Some were found hidden beneath tree roots, while others lay forgotten under dense foliage. The priest also initiated weekly pooja at the Jain monuments located in Kurathimalai and Koosamalai, two hillocks in Onampakkam village in Kancheepuram. The hillock features ancient sculptures of Jain Tirthankaras, along with Grantha inscriptions and rock-beds believed to have been used by Jain ascetics.

“Despite the ban on rock quarrying in this area since 2008, the site has faced threats from quarrying mafias. However, once the pooja started, such threats have dissipated,” says K Ajithadoss, a Jain scholar based in Chennai.

While scholars believe that Jainism was once widely practiced in the region now known as Tamil Nadu, their population in the state as per the 2011 Census was just 80,000. The number of those from the Digambar sect (Jains are divided into two sects, Swetambar and Digambar) is even fewer, only about 30,000, less than 0.05 per cent of the state’s population, scattered across the state.

According to P Rajendra Prasad, a member of the Tamil Nadu State Minorities Commission, in the past, the Jain community had thrived in state, in villages stretching from Kanyakumari to Kancheepuram, with agriculture serving as their primary source of income. However, owing to rapid urbanisation, a significant number migrated to urban areas. The state has more than 450 Jain sites, but only a few have been properly documented. Numerous sites remain abandoned and neglected, making them susceptible to vandalism. Currently, there are 128 Digambar Jain temples where worship takes place

“Thanks to Jeevakumar’s initiatives, we have become aware of numerous ancient Jain Tirthankara sculptures that had been neglected in remote villages across Tamil Nadu,” says Prasad. “In Villiyambakkam (Chengalpattu), we managed to construct a shelter for the Tirthankara sculpture discovered by Jeevakumar. Although the process was prolonged owing to opposition from the villagers, we ultimately succeeded in erecting a shelter. It is now well-maintained. There are several instances where we have been able to build shelters for ancient sculptures after Jeevakumar informed us about them,” he adds, while acknowledging the priest’s contribution in safeguarding and conserving ancient Tirthankara sculptures.

According to Jeevakumar, many of the 30 sites from which he retrieved sculptures of Jain Tirthankaras had previously been excavated by archaeologists. “I am trying to identify the sculptures of Tirthankaras from sites that were excavated by archaeologists in the past but have since been left abandoned and neglected. During this process, I also discovered sculptures ensnared beneath the roots of trees and dense underbrush,” he explains.

The priest says whenever he discovers an ancient site or artefact, he informs the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the State Archaeology Department, before initiating weekly worship at the location to ensure they are protected.

The neglect of Jain monuments in Tamil Nadu is an issue that has been widely written about. Many ancient Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions, dating from 300 BC to 400 AD, have been discovered within Jain caverns throughout Tamil Nadu, indicating that Jainism was widespread in the region centuries ago. According to experts, however, approximately 80 per cent of the old sites remain abandoned and neglected. The remaining are preserved by the ASI and the Tamil Nadu State Archaeology Department.

Sources in the ASI admitted that the process of acquiring heritage monuments tag, which enables protection by the department, is time-consuming. “We follow a lengthy procedure that requires historical and legal verification of the specific site. Numerous factors are taken into account. For instance, many Jain monuments, including those in Tirumalai (Tiruvannamalai) and the rock-cut Jain temple in Chitharal (Kanyakumari), are well-preserved by ASI. There is a systematic process involved, and it requires time,” they say.

Meanwhile, talking of Jeevakumar’s efforts, Ajithadoss says, “In 2017, a rare Jain rock bed featuring rock carvings of 'yantras' was unearthed atop Mottamalai in Narapakkam village, near Chengalpattu. A yantra is an abstract diagram comprising symbolic geometric shapes used as a meditation aid or as part of a ritual. While searching for ancient Jain monuments, Jeevakumar stumbled upon a 1000-year-old rock bed, which was covered by shrubs on the hill. He immediately initiated a weekly pooja there, which helped deter many anti-social elements and quarry mafias from the area.”

Another important find was of a three-foot-tall rock sculpture of Mahavira, abandoned near a temple in Puliyur, a remote village in the Tiruvallur district, in 2020. The stylistic characteristics of the sculpture, which depicts a seated posture, indicate that it dates back to the 11th century AD, say experts, suggesting that it may have been displaced due to a shift in the local belief system many years ago.

After receiving information from a villager in Puliyur Jeevakumar visited the site and found a villager performing pooja there under the belief that it was a statue of the Buddha. “We informed the villagers that this is a sculpture of Mahavira, not the Buddha,” remembers the priest.

Ajithadoss also talks of how, in 2016, Jeevakumar had insisted that there was a rock sculpture of Mahavira in the centre of a pond in Kancheepuram. “When the pond was desilted, we discovered the sculpture precisely as he described,” says the expert.

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According to Sasikala Devi, a member of the Ahimsa Walk, an initiative which helps reclaim abandoned and neglected Jain heritage sites and monuments in Tamil Nadu, Jeevakumar “not only gathers information about abandoned Jain sculptures and sites from those who visit the temple, but also from books”. “He reads Tamil books on Jainism, written by scholars like Mayilai Seeni Venkatasamy (1900–1980) and others. He does a lot of research by making phone calls before he leaves for the site,” she says.

Adds Prasad, also a participant of the Ahimsa Walks: “Jeevakumar is doing a great service to the community. We have been providing support to him in all his endeavours. As he is an active participant in the Ahimsa Walk, he receives backing from all members of the group. The Jinakanchi Jain Mutt also lends its support to him.”

The temple trust which had initially asked him to pursue his interest in his free time, also takes pride in his efforts now. “He has a great passion for it. He (Jeevakumar) rarely takes leave and maintains regular attendance, even while travelling to villages in search of Tirthankara sculptures. As this is a significant service to the Jain community, we are grateful to him,” says Subhash Jain, secretary of Shri Parshvanath Shwethamber Murtipujak Sangh Jain Mandir.

Over the years, Jeevakumar’s efforts have encouraged the Tamil Jain community to come together and construct shelters for the abandoned sculptures in various places. For the priest, the pursuit is not only to recover ancient sculptures and preserve them, but also to create awareness about the significance of the ancient pieces of art. And in this, too, his success has been considerable.

S Manohar, a farmer based in Kancheepuram talks of how he had been observing an ancient rock sculpture lying on a vacant land behind his house since he was a child. “We used to perform pooja and light incense sticks in front of the sculpture. We also adorned it with garlands, as we consider it our village deity. However, it was left neglected for some time, and the pooja stopped. I informed Jeevakumar about it and he came to retrieve the sculpture. The scholars who accompanied him told us that it is the sculpture of Adinatha, the first Tirthankara of Jainism. With the assistance of the community members, we later constructed a shelter to protect the sculpture,” he says. Although Jeevakumar still has to field inquiries from villagers during his visits to the abandoned sculptures, he also receives strong support from them. “Whatever be the belief system, it is our responsibility to safeguard these ancient works of art. If we do not take action, who will do it then?" asks Rajaram, who runs a tea stall in Tiruvallur.

Jeevakumar maintains that it is not essential for the information he receives to be accurate every time. “Only after you examine the site can you truly ascertain the accuracy. I discovered numerous sites that only contained pedestal stones. The sculptures have vanished,” he explains, adding, “barring a sculpture of Mahavira located in Sirudavoor (Kancheepuram), all the other sculptures I identified are safe now. Some are protected by shelters, while I hope others will get them soon,” he says.

Not one to rest on laurels, however, this Jain priest continues on his mission to identify and safeguard his faith’s tangible history.