Published Paper Details:

EARLY JAINA CAVES IN ANDHRADESA - A HISTORICAL STUDY Murali Krishna B, Research Scholar, Department of History and Archaeology, Nagarjuna Nagar, Guntur. Achrya Ngarjuna University. Mail id :rajaknoor@gmail.com Jainism is one of the oldest religions of ancient India. This religion enjoyed the equal prevalence and popularity like Buddhism. Rishabhanadha was the first Tirthankara of Jainism followed by twenty four Tirthankaras. According to Jaina text Haribbhadriya vritti1 that Mahavira himself preached his faith in the region of kalinga. Avasyakasutra of Haribhadra says that the king of Kaling at that time was a friend of Mahavera's father, Siddhartha. Hence Mahavera thought that this doctrine would be well received in Kalinga and hence decided to preach it there. It is identified that the Kalinga territory comprised the districts of Srikakulam Vijayanagaram and Visakha districts2. According to Jaina tradition the first Tirthankara had two sons Bharata and Bahubali, it was from Bharta the country came to be Known as Bharathavarsha. It further states that Bahubali established his kingdom with Podan as his capital. Podan has been identified with Bodhan in the Nizamabad district of present Telangan region. This fact is known from one of the Sravanabelgola inscriptions that Bodhan contained a huge idol of Gomath 3. In this paper express to present the spread of jainsim in Andhardesa and the historical importance of early Jaina caves in Andhradesa.