Jain Journal 1989 07

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 18

JULY, 1989
Curiously enough, the inscription brings to light a hitherto unknown minor chieftain who ruled over the area around Mamandur in the 3rd4th century A.D. He was Kaniman the chieftain who captured Tenur, and at whose instigation Ciru... van, the stone mason modelled the cavern. 33 The name of the mason is also read as calavan. Such a name appears to have been borne commonly by the Jainas. Evidently, the architect was a member of the Jaina community.34
The early Jaina caverns in Tamilnadu are important for several reasons. They represent the earliest religious monuments in this region they contain the earliest epigraphic records in Brahmi characters assignable to a period from 2nd century B.C. to 3rd or 4th century A.D. and above all, the caverns provide authentic evidence of the spread of Jainism in Tamilnadu. The natural caves were made suitable for habitation by cutting stone beds in them. The beds were chiselled smooth with one side raised a little to serve as pillows. The overhanging rock was cut in the form of a drip ledge so as to prevent rain water flowing into the cave shelters.
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The presence of a large number of stone beds in the caverns all over Tamilnadu would indicate an equal number of Jaina monks occupying these resorts. Inscriptions engraved therein provide the names of resident monks and some of the srāvakas who gifted the stone beds.
When Jainism gained popular support in Tamilnadu, some of the kings belonging to the Cera and Pandya dynasties and a few minor chieftains started extending their patronage to this sect. Lay devotees also began to endow Jaina monastic organisation. Moreover, the members of mercantile groups had also played a dominant role in the development of such institutions.
With the rapid spread of Jainism, there arose several settlements of the Jaina community in different parts of Tamilnadu. Though all those ancient centres are not known to us, Madurai, Tiruvellarai, Tondi, Petalai, Tidiyil, Elaiyur, Venpalli, Nagaperur, Patinur, Nelveli, Nalliyur, Karur, Yarrur, Pakanur and Kunrattur had been important settlements with a sizable Jaina population, which lent its support to the various monastic organisations.
33 I. Mahadevan, Op. cit., No. 1.
34 T. V. Mahalingam, Op. cit., pp. 289.