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JAINA ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE OF TAMILNADU
Pudukottai Region
In Pudukottai area, there are a number of hills, hillocks and caverns that served as seats of Jaina learning and austerities. We have Sittannavasal with proven Karnataka contact; Narattamalai, Bommamalai and Melamalai form centres of Jaina Monastic activities.
An inscription form Aluruttimalai mentions the names of two Jaina monks belonging to the monastery in the hill called "Tiruppallimalai". They are Dharmadeva Acharya and his preceptor Kanakachandra Pandita. Suffix Pandita is significant.
Tondaimandalam
In Tondaimandalam, there were a large number of pallis. Of these, those at Tirupathripuliyur, Thiruparuthikundram, Thirunarunkondai, Thayanur and Sithamoor have played important role in the spread of Ahimsa faith.
Thiruppathripuliyur
Patalika in Banarastra was an important seat of Jaina monastic activities. Jaina tradition relates this centre presently to Cuddalore. Acharya Kundakunda - Elacharya, it is believed, founded the Dravida Sangha here in the Ist cent. B.C. Literary evidence of 5th cent. A.D and narrative of Periapuranam point to the existence of a Jaina monastic centre at this place. The Digambara work in Sanskrit ‘Lokavibhaga', states that the prakrit original of this work was completed by Muni Sarvanandi in (Saka-380) - 458 A.D at Patalika. It is surrounded by many Jain temples and Jaina families in nearby villages. In the Cuddalore city there is a Jain temple renovated recently that echo the Jaina
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