Arahanthgiri Jain Math, Ancient Jain temple in Tiruvannamalai, India.
Arahanthgiri Jain Math is an ancient Jain temple complex built into a hillside in Tiruvannamalai, with natural caves that serve as meditation spaces and chambers for manuscripts. A carved statue of the Jain saint Neminath stands at the top, visible from below and accessible by climbing the steps.
The hill at Thirumalai, also called Arhatsugiri or Arihantgiri, was occupied between 322 and 185 BCE, when the last Shrutkevali Bhadrabahu meditated and studied there with 8,000 other saints. The temple complex on the site is over 2,000 years old and is now managed by the Archaeological Survey of India. The Arahanthgiri Jain Math itself was established beside it in August 1998.
The matha is run under the Acharya Sri Akalanka Educational Trust and is headed by Bhattaraka Dhavalakeerthi. The village of Thirumalai around the hill is also called Arhatsugiri or Arihantgiri, names tied to the site's Jain past. A well-known South Indian film was made on the theme of Neminatha, whose 16-metre idol stands on the hilltop.
The Neminath idol stands on the hilltop reached by a flight of 140 steps, so allow time for the climb and wear shoes with grip. The matha itself sits near the Tirumalai temple complex, which the Archaeological Survey of India manages, so expect an active pilgrimage site rather than an isolated ruin.
The math was founded only in August 1998, yet it stands beside a temple complex over 2,000 years old; the hill village of Thirumalai is also called Arhatsugiri or Arihantgiri. The math is headed by Bhattaraka Dhavalakeerthi and operates under the Acharya Sri Akalanka Educational Trust.
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