Jains
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Jainism, one of the oldest existing religions, must have evolved gradually, taking an organised form around the end of ninth century BCE, through the preaching of Parsvanatha, the 23rd tirthankara and Mahavira, the 24th thirthankara. It is believed that Jainism spread to South India when King…
in Module
Recognised as a minority in 2014, the Tamil Jain community in India is often called a 'minority within a minority', with a population of just over 25,000. The Tamil Jains have left an imprint on the literary, cultural and architectural landscape of India, and of Tamil Nadu in particular. The…
in Video
Tamil Jains are a minority within a minority. There are just over 25,000 Tamil Jains—this number includes Jains who migrated from north India. Within the state of Tamil Nadu, they comprise around 0.12 per cent of the population (Census 2015). They are not obviously visible in the public sphere…
in Article
There is a tendency to conflate different facets of minorities’ identities—particularly their religious, cultural, ethnic, and linguistic aspects. For instance, when one thinks about Jains, Marwaris and Gujaratis come to mind immediately. But Jainism is not just the religion of these two regional…
in Overview
Tamil Jains have been a part of the regional history of south India for over two millennia. From an omnipresent community a millennium ago to a marginalised one in the 21st century, they are today in the predicament of trying to find place for themselves in a world that has forgotten them. My main…
in Module