Telangana is a land where many religions have flourished since ages, and one of them is Jainism. If you wish to explore the splendor of Jain heritage, then do not miss visiting the Mahavira Temple. Located close to Aler town, the two thousand year old temple houses three idols of gods, namely Lord Rishabhanatha, Lord Neminatha, and Lord Mahavira. The image of Lord Rishabhanatha, carved of a rare jade (green stone) has been historically famous as "Manikyaswami”.

Kolanupaka is considered an important place of worship for Jains in the country. Kolanupaka Temple, also known as Kulpakji is a historic Jain temple situated in the village of Kolanupaka in Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district of Telangana, India. Kolanupaka was known by different names in the past like Bimbavatipuram, Kottiyapaka, Kollihaka, Kollipaka and Kolanpak.

History of Kolanupaka

The Kolanupaka Temple is believed to be more than 2,000 years old and many Jain antiquities have been discovered here. There is a grant mentioning a gift which was made to a basadi during the rule of Sankaragana in 9th century. Kolanupaka had flourished as a key Jain center during the period of Rashtrakutas. There are more than 20 Jain inscriptions found at Kolanupaka.

There are many inscriptions which suggest that the region was a major center for Kranur Gana of the Mula Sangh. There is a manastambha with an inscription dating back to 1125 AD and also a 12th-century inscription found in this temple which mentions that Meghachadra Siddhantadeva had entered sallekhana.

There is also mention of Kolanupaka in Vividha Tirtha Kalpa (14th century) of Jinaprabhasuri in the sections as Kulyapak Rishabhadeva Stuti and Kollapaka manikyadeva Tirthakalpa. According to legend, Manikyaswami idol was worshipped originally by Mandodari, the wife of Ravana. It is believed to have brought here by the rulers of Kalyani dynasty.

The Jain activity had declined after 1276 AD, which was again re-established from 1711 AD when the Manikyaswami temple was renovated, including the boundary wall. The main temple is believed to been built by King Bharat Chakravarti. Jainism spread in Telugu states even before 4th century, and historians agree that Kolanupaka was a prominent center of Jainism from the early times. Kulpakji is therefore considered an important pilgrimage center for the Svetambara Jains of South India.

The Temple

The interiors of the temple was built using red sand stone and white marble. Lord Rishabha, also popularly called as Adinath Bhagvan, is the first Tirthankar in the Jain religion whose original idol, locally known as Manikya Deva, made Kolanupaka as its abode.

There are eight historic idols of the other Tirthankars which are located on both the sides of this main temple. The statue of Lord Mahavera is about 130 centimeters tall and it is believed to have been created from a single piece of jade. There are idols of Lord Simandar Swami and Padmavati Ammavaru which have been installed close to the main temple.

The village of Kolanupaka was ruled successively by Rastrakutas, Chalukyas of Kalyani and Kakatiyas of Warangal. Kolanupaka is home to important temples of historical importance, being one of the great centres of Saiva religion and birthplace of Renukacharya. The Someswara group of temples offers a lot of scope to understand the rich legacy of the region, with its impressive monuments and antiquity.

How to Reach

Kolanupaka is located about 80 km from Hyderabad on the Hyderabad-Warangal Highway NH 163. Tourists need to take a small deviation from Aler on Hyderabad-Warangal highway. Aler is the nearest railway station, to reach Kolanupaka.