Mandaragiri
Jain pilgrimage with 12th-century temples and a footprint stupa.
Mandaragiri, also known as Basadi-betta, is a Jain pilgrimage site on Mandaragiri Hill in Tumkur district, Karnataka. It is notable for its hilltop complex of four 12th-century Jain temples and a stupa enclosed by a stone wall.
Quick Facts
- Religious affiliation
- Jainism
- Sect
- Digambara
- Location
- Madhugiri, Karnataka
- Festival
- Mahavir Jayanti
- Deity
- Chandraprabha, Parshvanatha and Suparshvanatha
- Established
- 12th century
- Temple quantity
- 7
Facts from the source article.
Hilltop temple complex
The hilltop enclosure contains four 12th-century Jain temples and a stupa, all surrounded by a massive stone wall decorated with paintings of the Tirthankaras. The four temples form a compact group; one temple presently enshrines no image, while the other three are dedicated to Chandraprabha, Parshvanatha, and Suparshvanatha. The back wall of the enclosure incorporates the original entrance, flanked by two pillars carved with elephants and a Tirthankara on a lotus pedestal. The stupa houses a stone slab with a carving of a footprint. The complex also includes a large manastambha, a monumental pillar typical of Jain sites. Two lakes, Maidala Kere and Padmavati Kere, lie near the temple complex. Near Maidala lake stands a ruined temple with a large stone-carved Tirthankara image, and eight goddess idols are scattered near Padmavati Kere.
Other temple
At the top of the hill, a Jain stupa houses a stone slab carved with footprints, offering a non-figurative symbol among the many Tirthankara statues. Below, an 81-foot temple called Guru mandir honors Acharya Shantisagar. Its shape, resembling a peacock-feather fan used by Digambara monks, gives it the nicknames pinchi temple or peacock temple. Next to it stands a 21-foot monolithic statue of Chandraprabha.
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