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inscription datable to the first two centuries of the Christian era. It records that the stone beds found in the palli were the gift of one Nathan of Kunrattur and these were made for the merit of the monks Eri Aritan, Attuvay and Arattakayipan.1
Though early Jaina vestiges in the form of stone beds and Brahmi inscription are found here, Anaimalai attained its height of glory mainly in the 9th century AD. A number of stone sculptures representing Tirthankaras, Yakşas and Yaksis were carved on the vertical surface of a rock nearby the cavern in the 9th century A.D. Some of them were made by lay devotees like Enadinadi, Saradan Ariyan of Venpurainadu, Koyyan , of the village Mallattirukai and Eviyampudi of Vettanjeri. These images were to be protected by the karanattar (accountants) of the village Porkodu and the revenue officials of Venbaikudi.?
Yet another sacred image was caused to be cut by the reputed preceptor Ajjanandi and the sabhā (village assembly) of Narasinghamangalam agreed to maintain and protect the image.3
An exquisite sculpture of a Yakşa next to the Tirthańkara vas made by a certain Cheduliyapandi of the village Peruvemarrur.4 Thus, pious devotees from several villages had contributed their mite in different ways to the Jaina establishments at Anaimalai particularly in the 9th century AD.
2. Arittapatti : A village five miles from Melur on the way to Alagarkoil from Madurai, it is situated amongst bald rocky hills. Half a mile to the north-west of the village is a hillock called Kalinjamalai. On the eastern face of the hill is a cavern with a drip ledge cut into the outer face of the rock. On the brow of the cave is found a Brahmi inscription dated to 2nd-1st centuries B.C. It records that the cave was caused to be given by Chalivan Attananyoliyan of Nelveli 5 The place Nelveli of this record may be identified with Tirunelveli, a small town on the northern bank of the river Tamra parani.
1 Annual Report on Epigraphy (ARE), 457/1906. 2 ARE, 67-74/1905. 3 South Indian Inscriptions (SIT), Vol. XIV, No. 102. 4 SII, Vol. XIV, No. 103. 5 K. V. Raman and Y. Subbarayalu, "A new Tamil-Brahmi Inscription in Aritta
patti" Journal of Indian History, Vol. XLIX, 1971, pp. 229-232,
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