This is about my visit to the Chitharal Jain monuments situated on Thiruchanattu Malai, a place blessed with natural beauty. The distance from Thiruvananthapuram to Chitharal is 50 km, and the route is via Neyyattinkara, Kaliyikkavila, Marthandam, and Thikkurissi, to Chitharal. I parked my vehicle in the parking space on one side of the entrance to the temple. From there, we need to walk a bit to the temple. I reached a small junction where there was no one, just a shop which was open.
I bought 2 bottles of drinking water and went up the hill. The way was paved with stones. There were small shady trees standing at intervals on the sides of the way. There were stone benches at some places. Rocks of different shapes and sizes stood proudly like elephants. I walked for 10 to 20 minutes and reached a place where there was a huge Banyan tree with long trailing branches. Under the tree, there were stone benches waiting for visitors who are tired after walking up the hill. I sat there and had a look at the surroundings. The scene from there was really beautiful with greenery all around and clouds looking like cotton balls in the sky.
Through an entrance made of granite pillars, I walked towards a recess between 2 huge rocks. The way through the rocks was such that only one person could pass through at a time. Past the narrow way, the sight was enchanting. The beauty of nature which lay unending was a feast for the eyes. On one side, there were numerous admirable images carved by Jain tirthankaras on natural rocks. Among them were engraved Mahavira in different forms along with Parshvanatha and Padmavati Devi. Sravana Belagola in Karnataka is considered as the centre of Jainism. From there, missionaries were sent to Kerala as well as different parts of the world for spreading the doctrine of Jainism. Thereby, it started taking roots in Kerala. The Jain Temple at Alathur in Palakkad and Kallil Temple near Perumbavoor are said to be evidence of this fact.
Chitharal is the oldest proof of spread of Jainism to different regions. What we see here are the oldest Jain monuments and writings which are as old as 1st century BC to 6th century BC. As per the Tiruchanoor Archeological Series, the hills known as Tirucha Narayan Malai are the hill ranges of Charanar. Jain pilgrims are called Charans. During the time when Jainism influenced many people, this temple was considered as the peaceful abode of Digambara Jain monks. The religion became influential here during the reign of the Pallava king, Mahendravarman I. The Chitharal Jain monument is now included in the list of Protected Monuments of the Archeological Survey of India.
Beyond the rocks carved with images is situated a temple constructed in such a way that one of its sides lies inside of the rock. The walls and the ceiling of the temple have been built of sheets of granite cut lengthwise and glued up. This is a cave temple and is known as Chitharal Cave Temple or Bhagavati Temple. Most of the Jain Temples have transformed into Hindu Temples, and so, the names given to these temples are related to the place where the temple is situated. In front of the temple, there is a long veranda (piazza) with granite pillars. Behind this, there are 3 sanctum sanctorums with iron doors, which are now closed, but there is a lamp burning inside. There are 3 deities in there, Mahavira, Parshvanatha, and Devi.
On one side of the temple is a pretty lawn. There is a small, but lovely lake on the rock. After a short walk, I came across a huge rock on which were written something in primitive script. I climbed up the rock through its side. There was a monumental entrance tower (gopuram or gopura) on top of the huge rocks. The tower was made of square columns full of carved images. It has been made lustrous with slaked lime. The sight of the gopuram standing on black rock is an alluring one. I sat there on the rock for some time and enjoyed the captivating beauty of the nature around. Later, I slowly started to climb down. While descending, I glanced back and felt that there is no doubt that the Chitharal Monuments, which bear the history of Jain culture dating back to thousands of years, will be an asset to lovers of history.
