Shanka Basadi, Lakshmeshwar – History

Shanka Basadi, Lakshmeshwar – History

The Shankha basadi was built in 7^th century CE. This basadi is one of the earliest Jain shrines in Karnataka and is believed to be older than Meguti Jain temple. Sendraka Durgasakti, a feudatory (vassal) of Emperor Pulakeshin II (609 – 642 CE) is said to have given gifts to this basadi as per the inscription found in this basadi. There is an inscription in Shanka Basadi that mentions the basadi received grants from Emperor Pulakeshin II. Lord of this basadi was mentioned as Sankha Jinendra in the inscription.

An inscription of King Vinayaditya of Badami Chalukyas dated to 686 CE records a grant given to this basadi and the Jain Acharya of Devagana of Mulasangha. Deva Gana is one among the four different ganas organized and defined by Acharya Arhadbali. The basadi belong to Mula Sangh monastic order of Jainism similar to the  present day Digambar Jain order. Dhruvadevacharya was the main priest of the basadi during the time of the Badami Chalukya king Vinayaditya (680 – 696 CE).

An inscription dated to 723 CE by King Vijayaditya of Badami Chalukyas records a grant to Niravadya Pandita who was to house pupil of Sri Pujyapada. Another inscription dated to 734 CE of King Vikramaditya II of Badami Chalukyas records the gifts to Shanka Jinalaya. Srivijayadevapandita Acharya of deva gana received funds to make repairs to the basadi in 734 CE. Kunkuma Mahadevi, sister of Vijayaditya, constructed a large Jain temple called Anesejjeya Basadi during the reign of King Kirtivarman II of Badami Chalukyas.

The priests of this basadi seem to hail from Surastra Gana as per the inscription. The inscription mentions nirvana of two priests by observing Sallekhana. The Shanka basadi along with Gangakandarpa Jinalaya was patronized during the reigns of Western Gangas. The Gangakandarpa Jinalaya might have been constructed by King Marasimha II (963 – 975 CE) of Western Ganga dynasty. The priesthood was entrusted with the Balakara gana of Mula Sangh.

An inscription belonged to the Western Chalukya king Vikramaditya VI records the grants entrusted to Narendrasena belonging to Sena gana of Mula Sangh. During the Vijayanagara times, disputes were reported between the Hindus belonging to Someswara temple and Jains belonging to various Basadis. An inscription of Vijayanagara king Devaraya I dated to 1412 CE mentions a dispute over land between the Someswara temple priest Sivaramayya and Sankha basadi priest Hemadevacharya.

The dispute was settled by Mahapradhana Naganna Dandanayaka. The judgment was in favour of the Jain priest of Sankha basadi. Another dispute is mentioned in an inscription of 16^th CE informs that there was a dispute was between the Jains headed by Samkhanacharya and Hemanacharya of the Sankha basadi and Kalahastideva and Sivaramadeva of the temple of Dakshina Somesvaradeva.

Adikavi Pampa wrote Adi Purana seated in this basadi during 9^th century. He was born in 902 CE. His father abandoned Brahmanism to adopt Jainism. Pampa became the court-poet and a minister under a prince named Arikesari of Lakshmeshwar. Arikesari claimed to be a descendant from the early Chalukyas but was then a feudatory under the Rashtrakutas. Adikavi Pampa composed Adi Purana and Vikramarjuna Vijaya (Pampa Bharata) in Lakshmeshwar.

Lakshmeshwar was called as Tirulugannada Nadu / Purigere / Porigere / Purikanagar / Pulikanagar / Huligere / Hurigere / Puligere (means pond of tigers) during ancient times. It was the capital of Puligere-300 division. The city was under the control of Badami Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Western Gangas, Western Chalukyas, Kalachuris, Cholas, Seunas, Hoysalas and Vijayanagara Kingdom. Lakshmeshwar was one of the famous Jain centres in ancient Karnataka region.