About Caves of Tamil Nadu
Location:
Anaimalai, Alagarmalai, Tiruparankundram, and other places around
Madurai.
Importance: Monuments of Jainism.
Built In: 2
nd- 1
st BC.
Jainism might have originated in North India.But it has a 1000-year history
in South India,particularly Tamil Nadu.The several monuments scattered in
the peninsular region of the Indian subcontinent only confirm this. There
are many Jain shrines, images, and monasteries carved in the hills of Tamil
Nadu.
Curiously, most of these monuments are concentrated in and around
Madurai.There are about 26 caves in Anaimalai, Alagarmalai,Muttupatti,
Tiruparankundram, Vikramangalam, Karungalakkudi, Mankulam
Kongarpuliyankulam, Tiruvatavur, and Varichiyur. The caves belong to the 2nd
and Ist centuries B.C. The names of the monks who lived in these
cave-dwellings and the men who carved them are engraved on these monuments.
Inside The Caves
The stone beds in these caves prove that they were abodes of the monks.
There are several flat stones in theses caves. One end of these horizontal
rocks is slightly raised as headrest. The upper portions of the caves are
shaped in such a way as to prevent rainwater from entering them. Wooden
poles were driven into holes on the ground in front of these caves, and
thatched roofs were erected on them. These residences were located near
water sources to meet the basic need of the ascetics.
Importance of The Caves
These caves are considered important because they are among the earliest
stone monuments in these regions. They also contain epigraphic records
written in the Brahmi script. It is even said that the Hindu temples in and
around Madurai were fashioned after these caves. Thirunarankondrai, a
village near Ulundurpet, was a famous Jain pilgrim centre. It was also a
seat of learning where monks and scholars from all over India gathered. The
carved images of Paraswanathar, the 23rd Jain Tirthankara, is found on the
top of a hill here. He is portrayed in a standing position, with a serpent's
hood spread above his head. The people in this area refer to Paraswanathar
as Appandainathar.
