Photographic documentation of 464 Jain sites across the State done after detailed study and field visits

In a pioneering effort, a photographic documentation of as many as 464 spatially distributed Jain sites across Tamil Nadu was released in the form of an Interactive DVD ROM at the French Institute of Pondicherry (IFP) here on Monday.

The study which began in 2008 focused on documenting 464 sites, including 82 sub sites, comprising structural and cave temples, rock beds, rock shelters, rock cut images, inscriptions, loose sculptures and converted sites.

Releasing the DVD ROM, Isabelle de Marguerye, Deputy Consul, Head of Social Affairs, French Consulate, said that although Tamil Nadu had more than 450 Jain sites, only a few have been properly documented. The Jains played a key role in the development of the Tamil culture since the 3rd century BCE. But many Jain monuments are in ruins, and they are disappearing due to lack of maintenance and care.

There was a felt need to document all the existing Jain monuments by undertaking a comprehensive field survey and preserving for posterity an important aspect of the country’s culture, at least through digital archives.

The Jain sites were studied with reference to the classical literature, inscriptions and archaeological reports. The photo documentation of the sites was done through field visits and by preparing a series of maps to geographically locate all the Buddhist sites of Tamil Nadu, she added.

Frederic Landy, Director of French Institute of Pondicherry said that it was a long lasting project with challenges. The sites were photographed in very difficult conditions and the team risked their life and located and documented them with geographical information, he said. The study has also documented 13 rituals and festivals of the community and around 7,873 images of temples/cave temples, rock shelter sites and dilapidated temples. The study is funded by Paris-based ARCUS Ile-de-France and Hukamichand Jain from Puducherry.

According to IFP, the documentation shows the temples in their artistic and religious dimension, as an architectural heritage and living place and also sheds light on the uniqueness of Jainism in Tamil Nadu.

The study has given special emphasis to the iconography of 24 Tirthankaras and other associated Gods, the rituals and festivals of Jain community and their role for the development of Tamil language. Over 500 inscriptions in various Jain sites in Tamil Nadu have also been documented.

A survey of Jain monuments (temples and rock cave beds) was prepared and a systematic field work carried out for the purpose of documentation. Some of the rock beds are situated in highly inaccessible sites and the team from IFP documented them with much difficulty.

The DVD ROM includes a location map of all the Jain sites and photographs with attributes of each site. The sites have been classified into 11 districts and include inscriptions, architecture, monuments, ritual and festivals. IFP has already brought out three CD ROMs on Bhairava, Pondicherry Past and Present and Darasuram Temple complex.