Jaina Archaeological Heritage of Tamilnadu

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

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JAINA ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE OF TAMILNADU
Tirumalai
Another important Jaina centre which bears paintings is Tirumalai near Polur in the Tiruvannamalai district. On the lower elevation of a hill nearby the Tirumalai village, there is a temple dedicated to Neminatha, known as the Kundavai Jinalaya Cola monarchs and later the Vijayanagar kings endowed grants to this temple. On top of the hill, there is a colossus of the same Tirthankara, who is addressed to as Shikamaninatha. In the vicinity of the temple on the rock face of the hill, there is a natural cave which has reliefs of Tirthankaras, an yaksi and Bahubali. This cave is partitioned by brick walls to form three small cells. On these walls and the ceilings of the cells there are paintings belonging to the Vijayanagar period; traces of an earlier phase of painting is also noticed.
The paintings of Vijayanagar period, depict the Samavasarana of Tirthankara, identified as Neminatha by scholars . Apart from this, in the inner most cells of the cave, there are paintings recounting the story of the life of Agnila or Ambika yaksi. A local tradition attributes Tirumalai or Vaigavur as it was known earlier as the place where the myth associated with Agnila had occurred. Apart form this there are paintings of two Dvarapalakas on either sides of the entrance to the cave and decorative patterns fully cover the ceiling.
On the eastern wall of the cell where the Samavasarana of the Tirthankara is depicted, paintings of an earlier phase have been noticed where the plaster and paintings of the later Vijayanagar period have fallen off. The remaining patches of this earlier phase exposes paintings of a female deity, standing below a For Private & Personal Use Only