Kulpakji Temple

The Kulpakji temple is located in the Nalgonda district of the state of Telangana in India. Found in the village called Kolanupaka, this is a famous Jain pilgrimage center with a temple dating back to the 10th century. This is situated 80 kilometers from the city of Hyderabad.

The image in this temple, of Lord Rishabhanatha, is world-renowned and called ‘Manikyaswami’, being made out of a precious green stone. There are three idols in the temple, Lord Rishabhanatha, Lord Mahavira, and Lord Neminatha. The idol of Lord Rishabha was carved with a green stone, which is historically known as Manikya Swamy and Lord Adinath. The statue of Lord Mahavir was made with single Jade 140 cm in height. In the temple, every Tirthankars is built with its unique style.

History of Kulpakji Temple

The origin of the temple is attributed to the ruler Bharat Chakravarthi. Ancient Jain texts have accounts stating that the Manikyaswami idol was worshipped by none other than King Ravana’s wife, Mandodari. It was said to be brought and installed to this village by Kalyana’s ruler called Sankar.

Temple inscriptions are dating back to the 12th century, which makes it a site of historical significance as well. Being a flourishing Jain village in those times, the temple is now gaining back its former glory.

This temple, dedicated to the very first Thirthanakara, also called Lord Adinatha, is believed to have originated after the idol chose this town to be its resting abode. The temple also houses the idols of eight of the other Tirthankaras. The main statue is more than 50 inches in height and is made of the precious stone of jade, which is called the ‘Manikyakallu’ in the local language.

This is a famous pilgrimage site for the Svetambara Jains who are from South India. The temple had undergone a recent renovation which was a major one, undertaken by artisans numbering more than 150, coming from the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan. Though the inner Sanctorum was preserved as it is, the surrounding was designed with a new temple. This was done by the Sompuras.

Architecture of Kulpakji Temple

The first Tirthankara in the Jain religion was Lord Rishabha, who is popularly known as Lord Adinath also. It is believed that the original idol of Lord Adinath, locally known as Manikya Deva, made Kolanupaka its abode by itself. On both sides of the temple, there are eight idols of the other Jain Tirthankaras. The idol of Lord Mahavira is 130 cm tall and is made of a single piece of jade.

Every Jain Tirthankara has a unique identity like Lord Mahavira is depicted with the lion and Lord Rishabha with the bull on their pedestals and Lord Parshawnath with a multiple-headed cobra acting as an umbrella. Idols of Lord Simandar Swami and Goddess Padmavati can be seen on either side of the main temple. The temple was recently renovated by calling 150 artisans from Rajasthan and Gujarat. A completely new temple was built around the existing towers and the old garbhagraha was preserved. Kulpakji is the major pilgrimage center for the Svetambara Jains of South India.