Impalement of #jains in Madurai & around in 7-8th Century CE
This hidden piece of history is seen in paintings & sculptures in temples & literary sources in Tamil Nadu. Annual festivals are celebrated for victory against Samanars. Impalement sticks are found in some places.
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This hidden piece of history is seen in paintings & sculptures in temples & literary sources in Tamil Nadu. Annual festivals are celebrated for victory against Samanars. Impalement sticks are found in some places.
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It occurred during the time of a Jain Pandya King & Shaivite monk Sambandar who converted him. His queen Mangayarkkarasiyar & minister Kulachirai Nayanar both were staunch Shaivites. Koon Pandiyan had ordered the impalement of 8000 #Jains.
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Although the legend is still debated, temples have customs, sculptures & paintings of the massacre. During the annual festival of Meenakshi temple, effigies were impaled on sticks & taken around as part of a ritual called Samanar Madam Adakkal. The ritual was stopped in 1974.
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IMPALEMENT: The condemned person’s body was pierced lengthwise through a sharp stake (Kazhumaram) & the victim was left to die a slow & painful death. The impalement devices were made of stone, wood & metal, usually sharpened to the length of the condemned person.
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This instrument Kazhumaram is found in temples between Madurai & Kamudhi Ramnad dt - in Kannankudi, Govindanenthal, Mandalamanickam & one found in sanctum sanctorum of the temple in Kalari village. Engravings were found in Kazhuvanpottal near Mandalamanickam & other places
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The impalement of #Jains was depicted on the wall frescoes of the Golden Lily Tank of the Meenakshi temple, Madurai, #Tamilnadu
Now replaced with new paintings. And no historian nor state archaeological dept nor @ASIGoI has questioned it.
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Now replaced with new paintings. And no historian nor state archaeological dept nor @ASIGoI has questioned it.
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Avudiyar temple, Pudukottai dt, #Tamilnadu
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Than Thondeeswara Temple, Sivaganga dt, #Tamilnadu
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Virudhachaleshwarar temple, Venganur, #Tamilnadu
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A stone carving found installed outside Pechiyamman Temple in Tirupattur, Vellore district, #Tamilnadu
The stone is 3 feet high and 2 feet wide. May belong to 7th century Pallava period. An impalement stick is also found there.
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The stone is 3 feet high and 2 feet wide. May belong to 7th century Pallava period. An impalement stick is also found there.
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Vaikunta Perumal temple, Kanchipuram, #Tamilnadu
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Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram, #Tamilnadu
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Airavateshwar temple, Darasuram, #Tamilnadu
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Thiruchendur temple, #Tamilnadu
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Kanchipuram temple, #Tamilnadu
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Thiru Vanparthan Panangattur Sivan temple, Thirupanangadu, #Tamilnadu
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Indian miniature of 19th Century, Government Museum, Chennai, #Tamilnadu
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5 stone impalement devices (kazhumaram) at Govindhankoil temple, Pallapacheri, Ramanthapuram district, #Tamilnadu
During festivals pongal mixed with goat blood is offered to eagles indicating that impaled persons were offered to eagles.
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During festivals pongal mixed with goat blood is offered to eagles indicating that impaled persons were offered to eagles.
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Thirupullani, Cuddalore, #Tamilnadu
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Kazhuvadiyan Temple, Chintamani, Madurai, #Tamilnadu
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Kazhumaram @ Muthulapuram, Dindigul district, #Tamilnadu
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Samanatham temple, Madurai, #Tamilnadu
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Kazhumaram at Kalaiyar koil, Sivaganga District, #Tamilnadu
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Sri Poornambigai/Sri Pushkalambigai Sametha Ayyanarappa Swamy Temple, Erode, #Tamilnadu. People worship it as Kathavarayan
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Tamil Jains hv never cried out loud, they live with self-respect. How many of u are brave to acknowledge this ugly history instead of whitewashing it??
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Tamil Jains hv never cried out loud, they live with self-respect. How many of u are brave to acknowledge this ugly history instead of whitewashing it??
Impalement was/became a state punishment as seen in some pictures from Chola & Pallava period. In the paintings of Avudiyar temple, impalement of both Jains & Buddhists is seen which shows how they were expelled. Shaivite Manickavasagar v/s Buddhists seen here.
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Bronze statue of 7th century child saint ‘Sambandar’ from #TamilNadu. One of the 29 idols #Australia returned to #India today. The Shaivite monk mentioned in this thread, responsible for the Impalement of Jains in Madurai & around.
#JainFiles
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#JainFiles
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Dec 29, 2021: Students discover an abandoned 10th C Jain idol & weapon-a stone replica of Kazhumaram (impalement device used in previous centuries to torture & execute people); a square Siva Lingam & Nandi near a village temple at Iraiyur village, Pudukkottai dt, #Tamilnadu
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