Jaina Archaeological Heritage of Tamilnadu

Author(s): A Ekambarnathan
Publisher: Bharat Varshiya Digambar Jain Mahasabha

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JAINA SCULPTURAL ART
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descending breasts, wavy abdominal muscles and attenuated hip of his sisters.
The Pandya region has more number of Jaina caverns than the Pallava territory. Apart from the early cave shelters around Madurai, several new ones as at Chitaral, Eruvadi and Kalugumalai emerged as important centers of sculptural art. At Chitaral in Kanyakumari district, a cavern on its outer side contains two rows of figures, the upper consists of twelve miniature forms of Tirthankaras, while the lower one has four bold reliefs of Adinatha, Mahavira, Parsvanatha and Ambika interspersed by miniature Tirthankaras. These images were caused to be made at the instance of monks such as Ajjanandi, Uttanandi and Viranandi in the 9th century A.D." The interior of the cave was modified into niches accommodating fine sculptures of Ambika, Mahavira and Parsvanatha.
Eruvadi, 5 kms.to the north-west of Valliyoor in Tirunelveli district, has an intersting sculptured group of Adinatha and Mahavira on the eastern face of a hillock known as Irattaiporrai (twin hillock). The two Tirthankaras are shown seated in ardhaparyankasana and each crowned by a triple umbrella. The physique of the latter is stouter than the former. These two images, commissioned by the renowned monk Ajjanandi in the 9th century A.D., were taken care of by the members of the local assembly who agreed to make necessary arrangement for the conduct of their worship." It may be added in this context that depicting the first and last Tirthankara in a single composition became an art convention symbolizing the Chaturvimsatimurtis in sculptural art from the 9th century A.D.
Kalugumalai in Tuticorin district was the most prolific Jaina centre in the 9th and 10th centuries. The