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JAINA ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE OF TAMILNADU
of a well by one Pattini kurttigal, female disciple of Arishtanemi pidarar of Tiruppanmalai". The Jaina center at Kalugumalai also represented more female disciples who caused to be made many sculptures of Jaina Thirthankaras on the hill4l. An inscription from Chitaral dated in 9th century A.D. records the gift of gold to the deity Bhatariyar by Gunatanki kurattigal a disciple of Arishtanemi bhattara of Periyakudila.
Nisidhigai Epigraphs
A few inscriptions from Tamilnadu reveal an interesting aspect of Jainism known as sallekhana. An inscription from Tirunatharkunru dated to the 4th century A.D. refers to the death of a Jaina teacher Chandranandhi after observing fifty-seven days of fasting42. Another inscription in the same place records the death of a monk Ilayapadrara who fasted for thirty days. This inscription is dated to 9th century A.D.43 Both the inscriptions were engraved on the rock surface of the hill. This shows that this place was famous for the sallekhana practice where the monks undertook deep meditation in the open place and fasted unto death. Paraiyanpattu, a village near Gingee, has an inscription mentioning the death of certain Aradan who observed vrta and liberated his soul. This epigraph belongs to 5th century A.D. A late inscription from Vijayamangalam refers to a nun who observed sallekhana and for her memory a mandapa was erected in the Chandranatha temple in the village
The foregoing epigraphical survey reveals that Jainism gained entry into Tamilnadu as early as the 5th or 4th century B.C and continued to hold good till about the 18th century. It reached its zenith under the patronage of the Chola monarchs around 9th
century A.D. During this time Tamilnadu witnessed the Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only
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