Madurai History

Madurai ranks top among other historical places in Tamilnadu for its confluence of art literates and culture. Madurai is one of the ancient cities of India and also is a great famous Jain centre. Jainism one of the ancient religion of the world had widen and deep roots spreading in all over the regions of Tamilnadu with a Centre at Madurai. From the religions point of view Madurai is the holy, sacred city for all Jains by the presence of Jain hills, where highly revered Jain Maha Munis (Ascetics) stayed and performed Thapas, Taught, reading, writing and arithmetic to the common man. The Tamil word “Palli” for school is of Jain origin deserting the significance of education and Jainism. Jain monks made concoctions for aiding people and played many important social roles in the Tamil society in and around Madurai. Jain Ascetics in and around Madurai wrote great epics, grammar etc in Tamil which enriched the Tamil language as a classical language and it hand in the past intimate links with other Jaina centres in Tamilnadu and Karnataka  particularly Sravana Belagola. Madurai is the sacred place for Jains where the first Jain Scripture – “Shathkandagama” was written by Acharya Bhoothbali.++Read More