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{{Short description|Śvetāmbara Jain temple in Telangana, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2016}}
{{Infobox religious building
| name                  = Kulpakji Tirtha
| native_name           =
| religious_affiliation = [[Jainism]]
| sect                  = [[Śvetāmbara]]
| image                 = Jain temple warangal.jpg
| caption               = Kulpakji
| map_type              = India Telangana
| map_size              =
| map_caption           = Location in Telangana
| deity                 = [[Rishabhanatha]]
| coordinates           = {{coord|17.698611|79.037222|region:IN|display=inline,title}}
| location              = Kolanupaka, [[Aler]] City, [[Yadadri district|Yadadri]], Telangana, [[India]]
| festivals             = [[Mahavir Jayanti]]
| established           = 1st century B.C.- 1st century C.E.
| website               =
}}
{{Jainism}}
'''Kulpakji''' also '''Kolanupaka Temple''' is a 2,000 year-old{{sfn|Shanker|2018}}{{Sfn|District Profile|Telangana Government}}{{Sfn|Jain Temple at Kolanpak|Warangal Police}} [[Śvetāmbara]] [[Jain temple]] in the village of [[Kolanupaka]] in [[Aler]] City, [[Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district]], [[Telangana]], [[India]].{{sfn|The Hindu|2008}} The temple houses three deities: one each of Lord [[Rishabhanatha]], Lord [[Neminatha]], and Lord [[Mahavira]]. The image of Lord Mahavir, carved of a green stone has been historically famous as "Manikyaswami" and [[Jivantasvami]].{{Sfn|Legacy of the Rashtrakutas|Telangana Today}} The temple is about 80&nbsp;km from Hyderabad on the [[Hyderabad]]-[[Warangal]] Highway [[National Highway 163 (India)|NH 163]].
==History==
Kolanupaka Temple is more than 2,000 years old.<ref>templesinindiainfo.com › Telangana Temples › Nalgonda Temples</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.exploretelangana.com/kolanupaka-jain-temple-2000-years-old/|title=Kolanupaka Jain Temple – 2000 years old Jain Temple of Telangana|first=Explore|last=Telangana|date=29 July 2014}}</ref> A number of Jain antiquities have been discovered in Kulpakji. A grant mentioning a gift to a [[basadi]] during the rile of Sanfkaragana (9th century) has been found at Akunur.<ref name="auto">Jain Monuments of Andhra, G. Jawaharlal, Sharda Publishing House, Delhi, 2002, (Chap. 5, Kulpak -A Jain Tirth Kshetra, p. 94-100)</ref> Kolanupaka flourished as a Jain center during the Rashtrakutas period.{{sfn|Chandaraju|2011}}
In [[Vividha Tirtha Kalpa]] (14th century) of Jinaprabhasuri the sections Kulyapak Rishabhadeva Stuti and Kollapakamanikyadeva Tirthakalpa.<ref>Vividha Tirtha Kalpa of Jinaprabhasuri, Editor: Jinavijaya, Simghi Jain Granthmala, 1934, p. 97, 101</ref> He mentions that according to legends, the Manikyasami image was originally worshipped by Mandodari, the wife of Ravana.{{sfn|Telangana Tourism}} It was brought here by the ruler Sankar of Kalyana.
Over 20 Jain inscriptions have been found at Kulpak.{{sfn|Pratap|2017}}<ref name="auto" /> A [[manastambha]] with an inscription of 1125 AD has been found. A 12th-century inscription found in the temple mentions Meghachadra Siddhantadeva who entered [[sallekhana]]. There is a 151-line Kannada inscription issued by [[Someshvara III]] of [[Western Chalukya Empire]] in 1125 AD.{{sfn|The Hindu|2022}}
According to [[Śvetāmbara]] legends, the main temple is said to have been built by [[Bharata (Jainism)|Bharat Chakravartin]]. Jainism was prevalent in [[Andhra Pradesh]] before the 4th century, and Kolanupaka was one of the prominent centers of Jainism from early times.<ref>BSL Hanumantha Rao, The Jain Relics of Kolanupak, Arhat vacana, October 1992, pp. 7–11</ref> The temple was recently renovated<ref>History of Oswals, Jain Chanchalmal Lodha, Panchshil Publications, 2005 p. 228</ref> by employing more than 150 artisans from Rajasthan and Gujarat.
In April 2022, during renovation in Someshwara Temple near the Kulpakji, two {{convert|4|by|1.4|ft}} sculpture of 'Maha Jaina Pada' (foot) of Jain Tirthankara was discovered.{{sfn|The New Indian Express|2022}}{{sfn|Telangana Today|2022}}
==The Temple==
Kulpakji is an important Jain pilgrimage center of [[South India]]. The interior of the temple is made by red sandstone and white marble. Lord Rishabha, popularly called [[Rishabha|Adinath Bhagvan]], was the first [[Tirthankar]] in [[Jainism]]. It is believed that the original deilty of Lord Adinath, known locally as Manikya Deva, has made Kolanupaka its abode.{{sfn|Chandaraju|2011}}
There are eight deities of the other Tirthankars on both the sides of the main temple. The statue of Lord Mahaveer is {{convert|130|cm}} tall and is said to be made of a single piece of [[jade]].{{sfn|Sura Books|2003|p=48}} deities of Lord Simandar Swami and Mata [[Alamelu|Padmavati]] are installed on either side of the main temple.{{sfn|Pratap|2017}} The temple also houses deities of [[Shantinatha]], [[Chandraprabha]], [[Abhinandananatha]], [[Padmavati (Jainism)|Padmavati]] and Bhomyaji.{{sfn|Chandaraju|2011}}
A [[Dharamshala (type of building)|dharamshala]] is built around the temple.{{sfn|Chandaraju|2011}}
Also, the Someshwara Temple is very famous, which was established by Chalukya's about 800 years back. Kolanu means a Lake and Paka means a Hut. There used to be lots of lakes and huts and this caused to get this name. Kolanupaka is said to be known by different names in the past, Bimbavatipuram, Kottiyapaka, Kollihaka, Kollipaka and Kolanpak. Many statues were found while constructing the school and library in the village. All the statues were moved and placed in the Someshwara Temple's museum by Somalingam Kallem, a government official.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}
==Renovation==
The temple was recently renovated by employing more than 150 artisans from [[Rajasthan]] and [[Gujarat]] supervised by [[Sompura Salat|Sompura]]s. The old garbhagrah was preserved and a complete new temple was created surrounding the existing tower.<ref>Kulpak Temple, Hyderabad (Architects) http://www.cptrivedi.com/p_kulpak_temple_hyderabad.asp {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201192717/http://www.cptrivedi.com/p_kulpak_temple_hyderabad.asp |date=1 February 2014 }}</ref>
==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Kolanupaka museum .jpg|Mahavira deity
File:Kolanupaka Temple (Kulpakji Temple) Gopuram.jpg|Kolanupaka Temple (Kulpakji Temple) Gopuram
File:Kolanupaka Temple (Kulpakji Temple) entrance 01.jpg|Kolanupaka Temple (Kulpakji Temple) entrance
</gallery>
==References==
{{reflist}}
=== Sources ===
* {{cite book | author=Sura Books| url={{Google books|E4l78qG3TkAC|page=48|plain-url=yes}} | title=Tourist Guide to Andhra Pradesh | isbn=9788174781765 | publisher=Sura Books | location=Chennai | year=2003 }}
* {{cite news |last=Chatterjee|first=Saurabh|url=https://telanganatoday.com/legacy-of-the-rashtrakutas|title=Legacy of the Rashtrakutas|publisher=[[Telangana Today]]|date=14 May 2017|ref={{SfnRef|Legacy of the Rashtrakutas|Telangana Today}} }}
* {{cite news | last=Chandaraju | first=Aruna | url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/history-and-culture/spirituality-sculpted/article5610052.ece | title=Spirituality sculpted | date=23 January 2011 | work=[[The Hindu]] }}
* {{cite news| last=Pratap | first=Vijay |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/hyderabad/2017/sep/02/kolanupaka-village-ageless-and-amazing-1651316.html|publisher=[[The New Indian Express]]|title=Kolanupaka village: Ageless and amazing!|date=2 September 2017 }}
* {{cite news | last=Shanker | first=C.R. Gowri |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/150718/nyaya-lingam-is-a-role-model-for-harmony.html|title=Nyaya Lingam is a role model for harmony|publisher=[[Deccan Chronicle]]|date=15 July 2018 }}
* {{Cite news | author=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/Kolanupaka-temple-to-be-re-opened/article15352468.ece|title=Kolanupaka temple to be re-opened|date=1 December 2008 | work=[[The Hindu]] }}
* {{cite news | author=The New Indian Express | url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/telangana/2022/apr/07/ancient-foot-of-jain-tirthankara-discovered-in-telanganasin-yadadri-bhuvanagiri-district-2438887.html | title=Ancient foot of Jain Tirthankara discovered in Telangana's in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district | publisher=[[The New Indian Express]] | date=7 April 2022 }}
* {{cite news | author=Telangana Today | url=https://telanganatoday.com/rare-jain-tirthankara-foot-sculpture-unearthed-in-telanganas-kolanupaka | title=Rare Jain Tirthankara foot sculpture unearthed in Telangana's Kolanupaka | publisher=[[Telangana Today]] | date=6 April 2022 }}
* {{cite web|url=http://yadadri.telangana.gov.in/district-profile/|title=District Profile|publisher=Telangana government|ref={{SfnRef|District Profile|Telangana Government}} }}
* {{cite web|title=Places of interest - Jain Temple at Kolanpak or Kolanupaka|url=http://warangalpolice.gov.in/PlacesofInt.aspx|publisher=Warangal Police|ref={{SfnRef|Jain Temple at Kolanpak|Warangal Police}}|access-date=13 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908185145/http://warangalpolice.gov.in/PlacesofInt.aspx|archive-date=8 September 2015|url-status=dead}}
* {{cite web | author=Telangana Tourism | url=https://www.telanganatourism.gov.in/blog/kolanupaka-blog.html|title=Ancient Center of Jainism in India| work=[[Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation]]}}
* {{cite news | url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/1125-ad-jain-inscription-at-kolanupaka-lying-in-neglect/article65539697.ece | title=1125 AD Jain inscription at Kolanupaka lying in neglect | date=19 June 2022 | newspaper=[[The Hindu]] | ref={{sfnref|The Hindu|2022}} }}
{{Jain temples}}
{{Jainism topics}}
[[Category:Jain temples in Telangana]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Nalgonda district]]
[[Category:1st-century BC Jain temples]]