History

Kulpakji also Kolanupaka Temple is a 2,000 year old Jain temple at the village of Kolanupaka in Nalgonda district, Telangana, India. The temple houses three idols: one each of Lord Rishabhanatha, Lord Neminatha, and Lord Mahavira.

Kolanupaka Temple temple is more than 2,000 years old. 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. Kolanupaka flourished as a Jain center during the Rashtrakutas period Over 20 Jain inscriptions have been found at Kulpak. Inscriptions suggest that the Kulpak was a major center of Kranur Gana of Mula Sangh. 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. The Jain activity declined after 1276 AD. Jain activity was re-established in 1711 AD when the temple of Manikyaswani was renovated and a boundary wall was erected.

In Vividha Tirtha Kalpa (14th century) of Jinaprabhasuri the sections Kulyapak Rishabhadeva Stuti and Kollapakamanikyadeva Tirthakalpa. He mentions that according to legends, the Manikyasami image was originally worshipped by Mandodari, the wife of Ravana. It was brought here by the ruler Sankar of Kalyana.

According to some legends the main temple is said to have been built by Bharat Chakravarti. Jainism was prevalent in Andhra Pradesh before the 4th century, and Kolanupaka was one of the prominent centres of Jainism from early times. The temple,was recently renovated by employing more than 150 artisans from Rajasthan and Gujarat.