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number of the images were commissioned by revered teachers within the monastic community along with their lay and monastic disciples. Particularly prominent are the number of female teachers (Tamil kuratti or kurattiyar) who are mentioned specifically by name. Also noteworthy are the distances traveled to commission work at Kalugumalai. Places that are mentioned in the epigraphs include villages in modern-day Tirunelveli, Cuddalore, and Kanyakumari districts as well as the site of Jina-Kanchi (Jina-Kāñcī) in Kanchipuram district. Clearly, Kalugumalai served as an important tīrtha for local and non-local Jain communities.
Figure 11: Detail of a Jina and laywoman from Group 5 at Kalugumalai
While the names and titles of individuals are included in the epigraphs, they are not visually represented in the site's imagery. Out of the approximately one hundred and fifty images at Kalugumalai, there is only one carving that could possibly be identified as a donor. The figure is a laywoman and she is carved adjacent to a singular Jina relief
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