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gyfa fereyra
light. Among the two cave shelters noticed here, one contains a few mutilated stone beds, while the other has no such evidence. Four fragmentary brahmi inscriptions in characters of the 5th-6th century A.D., find place near the first cave.
The steep rock leading to the cave contains a short label inscription reading 'kälāli', the exact meaning of which can not be precisely ascertained. However, it may be taken to mean the small steps cut on the rock in order to ascend the hillock. (Kal = leg =, foot; ali = depression, rest)
Two obliterated inscriptions are seen on the path leading to the huge cave. They refer to 'katuan' and "Erukkatturu kattulan". Apparentiy, these two labels reveal the name of a lay devotee, Kattulan of the village Erukkātjur. It may not be wrong to assume that he was the one who caused to be cut the steps (Kālāli) to ascend the hillock.
Erukkattur seems to be village in the island of llam (Srilanka). This is also known from an early brahmi inscription found in the Jaina cave at Tirupparankunram near Madurai. ! states that Polălaian of Erukkattūr, a Sravaka from llam (Srilanka), was the donor of stone beds in the Tirupparankunram monastery.14 The cordial relations between Jaina adherents of Tamilnadu and Srilanks, thus, finds epigraphical corroborasion both at Tirupparankunram and Sittannavāsal.
The last epigraph is noticed on the brow of a boulder near the huge cave. Although very much obliterated, it mentions names of persons like Chirchennan
12. K. Rajvelu, "Explorations at Sittannavasa!". Avanam,
No.6, 1995. p.q. 13. Ibid., p.10 14. Annual Report on Epigraphy, 333/1908
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