Who of the following kings was an ardent follower of Jainism ?

King Kharavela of the Chedi dynasty, who ruled Kalinga after the decline of the Mauryas, was a devout and ardent follower of Jainism [c5][t1]. His religious devotion is immortalized in the Hathigumpha inscription, which begins with a Jaina invocation and details his extensive patronage [t4][t7]. Kharavela is famously credited with recovering the 'Kalinga Jina' (a sacred Jaina image) from Magadha and constructing 117 caves at Udayagiri and Khandagiri to serve as dwellings for Jaina monks [t4][t7]. Often referred to as 'Bhikshu-raja' or the monk-king, he integrated Jaina principles into his daily life while maintaining respect for other faiths [c5][t4]. In contrast, Bimbisara was a contemporary of Buddha [c4], Mahapadma Nanda's primary religious affiliation is less definitively Jaina-centric in standard texts, and Pulakesin II was a patron of Vedic traditions and Shaivism [t2].

Sources

1. [1] Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science-Class VII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 6: The Age of Reorganisation > Coming of the Chedis > p. 128
2. [2] https://magazines.odisha.gov.in/orissareview/apr-2007/engpdf/page40-41.pdf
3. [3] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 4: Emergence of State and Empire > Introduction > p. 46