Jinamanjari 1998 04 No 17

Author(s): Jinamanjari
Publisher: Canada Bramhi Jain Society Publication

Page 19

Peruvembarrur was the śravaka who was responsible for the image carving.'
MANGULAM, a village near Arittapatti, is adjacent to the range of hills known locally as Kalugamalai. Atop the rocky slopes there are a total of five caves; four of which have Brāhmi inscriptions and roughly chiseled berths, and three of which have smoothly chiseled berths cut on the bottom rocks. One feature of particular interest is that the berths of these caves do not run parallel to one another, but run in different directions. They are also bigger than those at Anaimalai. As for inscriptions, they are written in bold characters on a boulder over the main cavern, and also on a boulder of the lowermost cavern; the latter forming the back wall of the northern portion of the cave complex. Unlike the other cave areas, the northern portion has an unsheltered, sandy courtyard implying the absence of berths.
The southern portion of the cave complex extends to a depth of 49.5 ft, and runs between two boulders serving as walls. The cavern is 58 it in length and is roughly 11.6 ft in height at the opening. On the platform, there are 31 berths. In the last cavern, situated on a raised surface measuring 7.8 ft by 5 ft, is a centrally located berth which may be, as indicated by its apparent position of honor, the berth-bed meant for a person of higher position among the śramanas.
Inscriptions inform that the cluster of caverns which formed the monastic establishment at Mangulam was presided over by a praiseworthy monk called Kaninatha. Other inscriptions indicate that several stone berths were commissioned by Kadalanvaluti, an officer of the Pandya king, Nedunjeliyan, and Chatikan and Ilanchatikan, the brother-in-law and nephew of king Nedunjeliyan. Similarly, the members of the merchant guild of Tiruvellarai also demonstrated a keen interest in this particular monastic complex, and commissioned a latticework structure for Kaninatha. It should be noted that the Mangulam inscriptions are the earliest epigraphs mentioning the name of the Pandyan king Nedunjeliyan.
MUTTUPATTI is a hamlet in the Vadapalangy region of the Madurai taluk. Nearly one quarter of mile east of Muttapatti is a large overhanging boulder with a carved drip-ledge, and is sheltering 30 berth-beds. The cavern itself measures 43 ft. along the east-west axis,
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