The association of Jains with Kongu region is at least 2,000 years old

About 1,800 Jains received nativity certificates from the district administration on Saturday.

They received the certificates from State Environment Minister Thoppu N.D. Venkatachalam in the presence of District Collector S. Prabakar, District Revenue Officer R. Satheesh and other senior officials.

Though Jains have been living in several parts of Tamil Nadu down generations, they could not get the nativity certificates.

Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has instructed the district administrations to address their grievance in right earnest.

Last year, the Central Government declared Jains as minorities, entitling them to beneficial schemes of the Central and State governments for minorities.

According to historians, the association of Jains with Kongu region is at least 2,000 years old.

Jain temples

Five Jain temples exist at Poondurai, Vellode, Vijayamangalam, Thingalur and Jeenapuram.

A proposal mooted by the district administration to the Tourism Department a few years back for formation of a Jain Temple Tourism Circuit has yet to progress to the next level. According to the community members, implementation of the proposal was necessary to protect the temples that were a manifestation of their long association with Erode district.