Jaina Monuments and Places First Class Importance

Author(s): T N Ramchandran
Publisher: Veer Shasan Sangh Calcutta

Page 31

TRICHINOPOLY
place, an overhanging rock forms a recessed cavern which contains carly Jaina vestiges. On the platform under this rock there are planned out several stone beds provided, in some cases, with pillows shaped out of the stone. The beds which are about 4' long and wide may be considered to be rather cramped for comfortable sleeping. A few of the stone pillows show traces of obliterated writing of about the 5th centily A.D., recording possibly the names of the occupants of the beds who were probably Jaina ascetics who had repaired to the caves for the performance of austerities. One of these bears, the name 'Chirā, the bearer of which was perhaps a monk of repute and possibly the settlement was called Tiruchirāppalli after him. On the way leading to this cavern, on the northern slope of the hill, is engraved in Biāhmi characters of the 2nd century B.C., one line of writing which may be read as 'Kapagaghari', meaning probably "a cavern or cave going in like a well."
In three or four places on the ledge of the rock leading to the cavern is deeply cut a label which reads "KAMTȚUHU' (evidently meant for Kamçţuh) in characters of about the 7th century A.D. In three cases, a different label in early script is also engraved faintly below this word, giving the names 'Amitānam (ta)', 'Gatadõşa' and 'Kaiyviļakku'. In two places are found the words ȚAMCHAHARA(KA) and 'Sēnatandan'. The script in which the label Kamtuhu' is engraved resembles that of a few labels on one of the pillars in the Pallava rock-cut Siva temple just below this cavern. The form of the label, which may be interpreted as a Sanskritised Telugu word meaning 'enemy', also suggests that like many other similar titles of Mahendravarman, this may also have been his biruda. Saiva tradition as embodied in the Periyapurāņam avers that a Pallava king named Guņabliara who was originally a Jaina was converted to Saivisim by the efforts of Saint Appar, and that thereupon this ardent royal convert built many Siva temples throughout his do