Buddhism in TamilNadu

An ancient Buddhist Stupa is found in Putheri, on the outskirts of Nagercoil, in the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu. This Stupa is, as of now, the southernmost Buddhist Stupa found in India. A statue of a standing Buddha holding an alms bowl can be seen in front of the Stupa.

Just as in the rest of Tamil Nadu, the presence of Buddhism in Tiruvannamalai district in ancient times is also revealed by ancient Buddha statues and other archeological remains found in Padavedu.

As can be expected from the names of these places, Salem and Dharmapuri are rich in their Buddhist heritage. We can spot some unique Buddha statues in Salem district. The name Dharmapuri (the City of Dharma) indicates that it was a Buddhist center during the ancient days.

In Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu, many ancient Buddhist remains were rediscovered over the last century. Of those, Peruncheri and Buddhamangalam have a large statue of Buddha each now preserved in small viharas.

In Mangalam, Musiri Talkuk, Tamil Nadu, there is an ancient Buddha statue that looks like Guru Rinpoche. According to Tibetan scholar Taranatha, Guru Rinpoche has also taught in Kanchi in Tamil Nadu.

There was strong presence of Buddhism in Ariyalur district of Tamil Nadu, as it is evident from the abundance of ancient Buddha statues found there. The etymology of the place also indicates that it was a prominent centre of Buddhist leaning.

The presensce of Mahayana Buddhism in Tiruchirappalli is all through the Chola period is evident from some of the Buddha statues recovered from this region.

A majestic vestige of the foregone era of Buddhism in Pushpavanam, Nagapattinam can be seen at the coastal village of Pushpavnam in Tamil Nadu. There sits a Buddha statue beneath an ancient banyan tree.