Jainism in India got its start in the closing of the 4th century BC, when the Mauryan king Chandragupta and a band Jaina led by Sruthakevalin migrated to Sravanabelagola. They came here for the feminine in their country and started spreading the gospels of the Tirthankaras. The disciples of Chandragupta and Bhadrabahu moved to the Chola and Pandya countries under the leadership of Visakhacharya after their death. They started spreading Jainism mainly in the South Indian parts in the beginning of the 3rd century BC. But from the 12th century it declined on the increasing significance of Srivaisnavism and Virasaivism

The early Brahmi inscriptions found in Madurai, Tirunelveli and Pasumpon districts would prove the antiquity of Jainism in Tamil Nadu much earlier than the 2nd century BC. There used to be many sravaks i, e, Jain householders in the South India, who used to support the emigrant monks. They provided them foods because as per the Jain custom, monks do not accept food from the non-Jain people. This establishes the fact that Jainism was launched in Tamil Nadu much before the Visakhacharya and his disciples.

In the ancient South India, some of the kings of Chera and Pandya dynasties and a few minor chieftains offered their support Jainism. The collateral branch of the Cheras was the Irumporai kings. Illamkadunko, who was the grandson of Atansel Irumporai and the son of Perunkadunko, had made a residence for the Jain monk Senkayapan of Yarrur. The Pandyas had their capital at Madurai and from there they spread Jainism. Kadalanvaluti, an officer of the Pandya king Nedunjeliyan dedicated a monastery at Mankulam to the reputed ascetic Kaninanta. Nedunjeliyan`s brother-in-law Chatikan and nephew Ilan-chatikan also made some stone beds for the same monk.

The celebrated chieftain, Atiyaman made abodes for the Jain monks even after being an ardent devotee of Lord Siva. A local chieftain Kaniman dedicated a cave to the Jain monks and on his advice the stonemason Chalavan cut the drip ledge on the upper part of the cave. The epithet `Andai` was prefixed with the names of persons like Andai Ariti, Andai Iravatan, Andai Visuvan, Andai Sendan, Andai Chantan and Andai Kuvira on the stone beds at Mettapatti. This term means `Holy Father`, so they are also regarded as the hermits residing at Mettupatti.

The devotees also started donating in the monastic organizations as Jainism progressed in Tamil Nadu and other parts of Southern India. Even the commercial groups played a dominant rule in the expansion of these organizations. Many stone beds can be found in the caves at Anaimalai, Arittapati, Kilavalva and Vikara-mangalam, which were donated by sravakas like Eri Aritan, Attuvai, Arattakayipan, Natan, Atanamvoliyan, Uavan, Kuviran and Senkuvirn. The residents of Tidiyal village were also involved in cutting of stone beds in Mettupatti.

The business groups also played active role in propagating Jainism in South India. The record shows that Atan, a goldsmith; Vijayan. a salt merchant; Elachanttan, an ironmonger; Illava Atan, a cloth merchant of Venpalli and Tevanchattan, a merchant trading in precious stones all contributed by making stone beds in the monastic establishments at Alagarmalai and Arachalur. The members of a merchant guild named, Nigama gave a latticework in the residence of the preceptor Kaninata at Mangulam.

Thus the Jainism started to spread rapidly in all the states of South India, especially in Tamil Nadu. According to a custom of Jains, an austere gives up life by fasting till death and liberates from worldly bondage and this is called "Sallekana". The writings from South Indian districts show the evidence of the practice of Sallekana. Tirunatharkunru used to be the place of fasting for them.

One of the oldest and most important Jain pilgrimage centre in India is at Sravanabelagola in Karnataka. The naked statue of Bahubali (Gomateshvara) is 17 meter in height and is said to be the world`s tallest monumental statue. This statue is smeared with thousands of pots of coconut milk, curd, ghee, bananas, jaggery, dates, almonds, poppy seeds, milk, saffron and sandalwood during the Mabamastak abbisheka ceremony once in every twelve years.

In South India, many of the Royal families came in support of Jainism since the days of the Kadamba Rulers to the Kalachuri of Kalyan. Thus it got spread rapidly and became popular in all southern parts of the country. Apart from the regional capitals, Shravanabelagola in Karnataka became the center of their activities and it still occupies the same position even up to the present day. But Jainism in South India started to decline from the 12th century on the increasing significance of Srivaisnavism and Virasaivism. In spite of this, many Jain people can be found in Southern part of India.