Although Jainism in South India has been dated to the 3rd century BCE it is thought to be older as it has even garnered a mention in the epic the Ramayana and is believed to have flourished in the region till about the 8th century. Over the ages Jains also contributed heavily to Tamil literature and its literary traditions. With this background Jains have had a consistent presence in and round Chennai. 
Many Jain temples and ‘mandirs’ are scattered around Chennai one of which is the Chandraprabhu Swami temple built on the site of the Shwetamber temple reputedly the first Jain temple in South India, located in Mint Street in the bustling heart of the Sowcarpet area of Chennai home to several other religious edifices and a large Jain community. This elaborate glass and white marble structure dedicated to the worship of the 23rd Jain ‘tirthankara’ is believed to have been influenced by the 12th and 13th century Jain temples of Dilwara in Rajasthan. Built on a wide platform to separate it from the surrounding area as per tradition, it features elaborate stone work outside and inside the premises, five gopurams or domes, a central hall with extensive glass work designed to reflect all the colours of the rainbow when lit and a green quartz idol of its main deity in the ‘gambhara’, the most holy part of the temple. No iron has been used in the temple’s construction. Apparently the designers and artisans employed in the temple’s construction hailed from Rajasthan who were able to render accurate copies of the decorations of the Jain temples in that state. The temple also houses many other statues of Jain holy men including that of the first and eighth tirthankaras along with minor Jain deities. 
The mint Street location of the temple puts it in the middle of a very busy, colourful and old section of Chennai where business people of all sorts and from everywhere in the sub continent rub shoulders with devotees of many faiths. 
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