Appar: Appararu were another Shaiva saints. They were born in a village in South Arcot district.

Influenced by Jain Acharyas, Apparar later became devotees of Lord Shiva. Pallava king
Mahendravarman, who had tried to convert Appararu to Jainism but failed, eventually accepted the
Shaiva religion himself. The book called "Tevara" contains the devotional songs of Appararu.

Manikya Vachakar: Manikya Vachakar was born in a Brahmin family in the village of Vadavoor near
Madurai. He served as the chief minister of the Pandya king. His work "Tiruvacakam" contains his
devotional songs. He promoted Shaivism in Tamil Nadu. Manikya Vachakar said that if one surrenders to
Lord Nataraja in the Chidambaram temple, they will attain liberation. Other prominent Shaiva saints
include Sundar, Thirumool, Nandanar, Poraali, Karekkal Ammai, and Nakeerar.

Vaishnava saints: Vaishnava saints were called Alvars. They promoted Vaishnavism in Tamil Nadu. They
believed that surrendering to Lord Vishnu is the path to salvation. The books "Nalayira Prabandham"
and "Tiruvaymoli" contain their devotional songs. There were 12 Alvars in total. Poigai Alvar, Peyalvar,
Thirumalisai Alvar, and Bhoothathalvar lived during the Pallava period. Kulasekhara Alvar, Andal,
Nammalvar, Periyalvar, and Madhurakavi Alvar lived during the Pandya and Chera periods. During the
Chola period, Thiruppavai Alvar, Thirumangai Alvar, and Thondaradipodi Alvar lived here.

1. Periyalvar: Periyalvar was born in the Brahmin family in Srivilliputhur in the Ramanathapuram district.
They were also known as Bhatta Piran and Ettu Chittu. Their works include "Tiruppalande" and "Periya
Tirumoli".

2. Nammalvar: Nammalvar, who possessed immense spiritual knowledge, was born in Thirukkuruhur in
the Tinneveli district. They were also called Sharari Ashadakopar. They were known for their Tamil
version of the four Vedas and their major works include "Periya Tiruvandadi", "Thiruvaymozhi", and
"Thiruvasiriyam". They had Madhura Kavi as their disciple.

3. Kulasekhara Alvar: They ruled as the Chera kings of Kerala in the 800s CE. Later, they renounced royal
pleasures and became great devotees. Their works are included in "Perumal Tirumoli". "Mukunda Mala"
is a Sanskrit hymn composed by them.

4. Tirumangai Alvar: Tirumangai Alvar, a Vaishnav saint, was a commander in the army of the Chola king
due to the influence of his wife, Prabhavati. His major works include Tirukkurandandaali,
Tiruneedumandadakali, and Tiruvelukkorerutai Shiriya Tirumadal. The idols of the Nayanars and Alvars,
who worked hard for the revival of Hinduism, are worshipped in the temples of Tamil Nadu. Due to their
efforts, Vedic religion spread more in North India as well. The Nathamunis and Yamunacharyas, who
popularized the Vaishnavite religion in Tamil Nadu, are credited for establishing many Hindu temples.
Yamunacharya, who served as the head of the Sri Rangam Vaishnavite Matha, wrote a commentary on
the Vedas. Sri Ramanujacharya, the main disciple of Yamunacharya, played a significant role in
promoting the Shaiva and Vaishnavite sects in both North and South India. The Nathamunis, who
worked tirelessly to spread the Vaishnavite religion, were highly knowledgeable in Smriti and Vedas.
Their work "Prabandha" contains Vaishnavite devotional songs. These songs, known as the "Dravidian
Vedas," were used by Nathamunis to establish the idols of Vaishnavite saints in temples. They also
established many Vaishnavite Mathas for the promotion of the Vaishnavite religion. The Vaishnavite
sect established by Sri Ramanujacharya is known as "Vishishtadvaita Sampradaya."

The tradition established by Sri Madhvacharya is known as "Dvaita Sampradaya" or "Brahma

Sampradaya". The tradition established by Lord Vishnu is called "Rudra Sampradaya", and the tradition
established by Nimbadiyata is referred to as "Sanakadi Sampradaya". The acharyas who came after the
Alvars further developed the Vaishnava tradition. They belonged to the Brahmin caste. Among the
acharyas, Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, and Madhvacharya are prominent. Madhvacharya is
considered the founder of the modern Sri Vaishnava sect. He taught in both Sanskrit and Dravidian
languages. He emphasized that devotion, karma, and jnana paths are necessary for attaining liberation.
He also nurtured the teachings of the Alvars.

Buddhism: During the Mauryan period, Buddhism gained popularity in South India. Ashoka, a follower of
Buddhism, spread the religion in the Chola, Chera, Pandya, Sinhala, and Mysore kingdoms. Buddhist
teachings are mentioned in Tamil epics such as Manimekalai and Silappadikaram. The Satavahanas
worked towards the popularity of Buddhism in the Deccan region. Many Buddhist stupas and viharas
were constructed in places like Amaravati, Nagarjunakonda, Karle, Kanheri, and Nasik. During the rule of
the Rashtrakutas, famous Buddhist centers were Sollapur, Karle, Kanheri, Balligave, Kolivada, and
Dharwad. Ashoka's inscriptions in Maski, Koppal, Siddhapur, Jatinga Rameshwara, and Brahmagiri
mention the existence of Buddhism in Karnataka. Ashoka sent the Buddhist monk Mahadeva Thera to
Mahishamandala (Mysore) and Rakshita to Banavasi for the propagation of Buddhism. The Shikaripur
inscription mentions the construction of a Buddhist vihara in Balligave by the Chalukyas of Kalyana. The
Chinese traveler Xuanzang mentions in his writings that there were 10,000 Buddhist monks belonging to
both Hinayana and Mahayana sects in Banavasi, along with 100 Buddhist viharas. The Nagarjunakonda
inscription mentions the arrival of Buddhist monks from Sri Lanka who propagated Buddhism in
Banavasi. Due to the strong influence of Hinduism, the strict practices of Buddhism, lack of royal
patronage, and attacks by Muslim invaders, Buddhism gradually lost its popularity.

Jainism: Jainism was established by the Tirthankaras. There were a total of 24 Tirthankaras.
Vrishabhanatha or Purudeva was the first Tirthankara. Parshvanatha was the 23rd Tirthankara. Mahavira
was the 24th Tirthankara and is considered the true founder of Jainism. Mahavira was a king from
Vaishali. Later, he renounced worldly life.

Karnataka: Jainism had a strong presence in ancient Karnataka. From around the 3rd century to the 12th
century, Jainism flourished in Karnataka. The major Jain centers in Karnataka were Banavasi,
Moodabidri, Shravanabelagola, Manikhet, Koppal, Halasi, Karakala, and Bankapura. During the Mauryan
period, Chandragupta Maurya embraced Jainism in Karnataka in 300 BCE. Chandragupta Maurya, along
with his guru Bhadrabahu, settled in Shravanabelagola and observed sallekhana vratha before attaining
nirvana. This hill where he resided is now known as Chandragiri Hill. Jainism spread in Karnataka from
the desciple of Bhadrabahu in Shravanabelagola.

During the time of the Ganga dynasty, Jainism became even more popular. The Ganga kings, such as
Dadiga, Madhava, 2nd Shivamara, Bootuga, Neetimarga, Ereyanga, 2nd Marasimha, and 4th Rachamalla,
were followers of Jainism. Chavundaraya built the Javundaraya Basadi, Ajitasena Basadi, and Bahubali
statues in Shravanabelagola. His "Chavundaraya Purana" contains the biographies of 24 Tirthankaras.
Rajagurus like Simhanandi and Sudattamuni were also Jains, which further strengthened Jainism.

During the time of the Badami Chalukyas, Jainism received special encouragement. Many Jain basadis
were built during the reign of 2nd Pulakeshi, Vijayaditya, Vinayaditya, and Vikramaditya. Ravikirti Jain
was the author of the Aihole inscription. The Rashtrakuta kings, such as Amoghavarsha, 3rd Indra, and
3rd Krishna, were also followers of Jainism. Many Jain basadis were constructed during the Rashtrakuta
period as well. The Jain poets Pampa, Ponna, Jinasena, Akalanka Deva, Vidyandhi, Sumantabhadra, and
Manikyanandi were patronized by the Rashtrakutas. The major Jain centers during their time were
Shravanabelagola, Koppal, Lakshmeshwara, and Bankapura.

Jainism and the Hoysalas: Jainism reached its peak during the time of the Hoysalas. The Jain munis,
especially Sudatta Acharya, played a significant role in the establishment of the Hoysala dynasty. They
were the gurus of Hoysala kings like Sala, Vinayaditya, and Nripakama. Jain gurus like Shantideva,
Gopanandi, and Charukirti were also present. The famous Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana and his queen
Shantala Devi were Jains. During their reign, the Parsvanatha statue and Parsvanatha Basadi were built.
Shantala Devi constructed the Savati Gandharavana and Jinnath Basadis in Shravanabelagola.

Shantala Devi, her mother was Machikabbe. Ganga Raj, who was the commander-in-chief of
Vishnuvardhana, and Lakshmidevi, the wife of Ganga Raj, observed the Sallekhana Vrata and renounced
their lives. Huluvan, who built the "Yavana Chudamani Basadi" in Shravanabelagola, was a Jain. He
served as the treasurer of the first Narasimha. Ranna, who composed "Ajitha Purana" and
"Gadayuddha", was in the court of Satyashraya. During the Hoysala period, many Jain basadis were
constructed and many Jain poets were patronized. As a result, Jainism became more popular.

In Karnataka, there were three Jain sects: Shwetambaras, Digambaras, and Europeans. Shwetambaras
were mainly concentrated in Manya Kheta. In Karnataka, the Digambara sect was more dominant.
Bhadrabahu and his disciples were Digambaras. The European sect, which was more prevalent in South
India, was a combination of Shwetambaras and Digambaras. This sect was established by Shri Kush
Acharya in Kalka in Gulbarga district.

Sedam, Adati in Gulbarga district, Rona, Naragunda in Dharwad district and Halasi in Belgaum district
were important centers of the Yupaniya sect. Jainism enriched the literature and culture of Karnataka. It
has contributed immensely to the art heritage of Karnataka. Over time, the Vedic religion, which
opposed the practices and principles of Jainism, led to the downfall of Jainism. Jainism lost its popularity
due to the influence of Veerashaiva and Haridasa movements and the dominance of Hinduism.