English: The Nagaraja temple in Nagercoil (Nagarkoyil) Tamil Nadu is an early era temple where Jaina and Hindu iconography co-exist. The temple had active Jain participation and Jain priests through the 16th-century, and predominantly Hindu thereafter. The large temple has unusual architecture that is not found in either Jain or Hindu traditions elsewhere in India. The temple is famous for over 10,000 Naga/serpent stone motifs that have collected over the centuries in its premises. Naga motifs are found in many old Jain temples near Jain basadi all over South India, as well as in many Hindu temples.

Above upper images are of Jain Tirthankaras: seated Mahavira found in the mandapam in front of temple's sanctum; standing Parsvanatha with 5-headed Naga shielding over him. The lower image is of two early brass statues found in the temple, with Naga crowning over them. These brass images can either be Jain or Hindu icons, states T.A. Gopinatha Rao.

This photo was taken and published in 1910 by TA Gopinatha Rao in Travancore Archaeological Series 1 and 2. This is a photograph of a personal copy of the archived 2-D original, and therefore wikimedia commons PD-Art guidelines apply. Any rights I have as a photographer, I herewith donate it to the public domain through wikimedia commons CC0.