Jaina Archaeological Heritage of Tamilnadu

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

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JAINA ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE OF TAMILNADU
chauri-bearers, hovering gandharvas, and with scroll work with foliage above the triple umbrella not yet deeply relieved and somewhat incomplete. Inscribed records in vatteluttu occur under all the carvings referring to their context and characters.
The cavern at the middle of this hillock has a number of Jaina Tirthankara images sculpted in bold relief on a rock. They are depicted both in seated and standing postures. The inscriptions found here are in vattelutttu characters of 10th century and record existence of a palli and mention the names such as Gunabhadradeva and Chandraprabha.
Kalluthu situated 45 kms from Dindigul has a long but narrow natural rock shelter containing about 9 beds in two rows each with a pillow made on the rock surface. Above the pillow are label inscriptions in Brahmi letter of circa 1st century A.D. The inscription gives various names of persons who were in all likelihood members of religious orders.
There is a later shrine marked by a pada carved on the rock and approached by a flight of steps of low height by the side of the beds. There is a record of 14th century recording the padas belonging to those of Sahajanandanatha.
Panchapandava malai
This place near Arcot contains also an unfinished early Pallava cave-temple on the Panchapandavarmalai, at one end of which close the road but on the higher slopes of the hill is a boulder with a tarn below and some natural caverns. It contains an inscribed record
of the 50th year of Nandippottarasar (Nandivarman II)