Shree Kulpakji Shwetamber Jain Tirth
Kulpakji also known as Kolanupaka Temple is approx 2,000 year old shwetamber Jain temple at the village of Kolanupaka in Nalgonda district, of the state of Telangana, India.
The very ancient pratimaji (idol) famous by the name of Shree Manikyaswami of Shree Adhishvar (Rushabdev) Bhagwan is pratisthit as Mulnayak of shree kulpakji shwetamber jain tirth . There is a popular legend that Sri Bharat Chakravarti, son of Shree Adhinath Prabhu had got ceremonially installed Pratimaji (idols) of all 24 Tirthankaras on Ashtapad parvat and one of the pratimaji was made of a blue precious stone which was set in his own ring and that is the same pratimaji.
In Vividha Tirtha Kalpa (14th century) of Jinaprabhasuri the sections Kulyapak Rishabhadeva Stuti and Kollapakamanikyadeva Tirthakalpa.[10] He mentions that according to legends, the Manikyasami image was originally worshipped by Mandodari, the wife of RavanaIt is said that King Ravana had obtained this pratimaji from devtas as a result of his practicing penance to please them and had gifted the Pratimaji to his queen Mandodari. For several years the Pratimaji remained in Sri Lanka and when the latter was destroyed, the shashan dev has kept it safe under the sea. It was brought here by the ruler Sankar of Kalyana..
While practicing austerities to please the sashan dev, the local king name Shankar received this Pratimaji in Vikram samvat 680 which was installed here with proper consecration ceremonies after building the temple.
There are total of 15 ancient Pratimaji (idols) and each of them has something special to convey. The idols of Sri Manikyaswami of blue stone and of Sri Bhagwan Mahavir of green jade stone are beyond description as no adequate words can convey their beauty and grandeur. The Pratimaji (statue) of (Lord) Shree Mahaveer swamy is 130 centimetres (51 in) tall and is said to be made of a single piece of jade. Idols of Lord Simandar Swami and Mata Padmavati are installed on either side of the main temple.There are eight Pratimajis of the other Tirthankars on both the sides of the main temple.
In an inscription dated Vikram year 1333 found here, there is a reference to this shrine as well as to this Pratimaji (idol) of Shree Manikyaswami. There is a further reference in the inscription dated Vikram Year 1481 about renovations carried out on this temple by Sri Jain Swetamber Sangh in the presence of the head of Tapa Gachha Bhattarak Sri Ratnasinhsuriji. In the inscription dated Vikram year 1665 the name of Acharya Sri Vijaysensurishvarji has been referred to. A reference is available about the consecration after renovations were carried out by the Jain sangh of Hyderabad in the presence of Pandit Sri Kesarkushalgani, on Chaitra Sukla 10 in Vikram samvat 1767. At this time all was successfully completed because of the cooperation arranged from Subedar Mohamad Yusuf Khan of king Bahadur Shah, son of Badshah Aurangzeb the then ruler of Delhi. The large compound of land was also then adequately walled.
The significance of the temple is because of its association as stated earlier, with Sri Bharat Chakravarty, Ashtapad parvat, king Ravana and the receipt of the pratimaji finally by king Shankar of south India in Vikram samvat 680.
Every year a festival is held here between Chaitra Sud teras (13) and Poornima when thousands of devotees gather to offer their prayers. The sasan dev here appears to be working miracles and very often sweet and enchanting sound of ringing bells and anklets is heard in the temple.
The exterior and interior of the temple is made by red sand stone and white marble.
