Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c23.s14: 4.12 Re-occupation of the cave shelters by later Jainas
Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c23.s14
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4.12 Re-occupation of the cave shelters by later Jainas
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It is beyond the scope of the present study to trace the history of Tamil Jainism after the 6th century A.D. except to point out the re-occupation of the earlier cave shelters by the Jainas between 8th and 10th centuries A.D. (Figs. 4.¹ and 4.²).
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Jainism declined steeply in the Tamil country from about the end of the 6th century A.D. when there was a tremendous upsurge of the Saiva and Vaishnava sects revitalised by the Bhakti movement led by the Nāyaṉmār and Āḻvārs. The Tamil Jainas were persecuted during this period. However, the persecution, uncharacteristic of Indian polity, did not last too long and the rulers resumed grants to the Jaina monasteries (*paḷḷi*) from about the end of the 8th century A.D. as attested by epigraphical evidence from the Pallava and Pāṇḍiya regions.⁴ It was during this period of revival that many of the earlier cave shelters with stone beds and Tamil-Brāhmī and/or Early Vaṭṭeḻuttu inscriptions were re-occupied by the Jainas who marked their renewed presence with relief sculptures and inscriptions in the Vaṭṭeḻuttu script of the period.⁵ The following is a list of the sites reoccupied during 8th-10th centuries A.D.
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⁴ E.g., grants in the 8th century A.D. by Nandivarman II (*Pallava Inscrs.* Nos. 74, 85 & 88) and by Māṟaṉ Caṭaiyaṉ (*SII.* XIV: Nos. 32, 39 & 41).
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⁵ C. Santhalingam 1999b: pp. 105-115.
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(i) Alagarmalai, (ii) Anaimalai, (iii) Arittapatti, (iv) Karungalakkudi, (v) Kilavalavu,
(vi) Kongarpuliyankulam, (vii) Muttuppatti (Fig. 4.¹), (viii) Sittannavasal,
(ix) Tirunatharkunru (Fig. 4.²), (x) Tirupparankunram and (xi) Tondur.
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¹ E.g., *Epi. Car.* XI, Davanagere: 90.
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² T.N. Subramanian 1959: pp. 41-83. *Pallavar Ceppēṭukaḷ* 1966 (1999 reprint): pp. 1-32.
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Figure 4.1. Sculpture of two Jaina Tirthankaras. Muttuppatti. ca. 9th century A.D. Note the Vaṭṭeḷuttu inscription below the figures.
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Figure 4.2. Sculpture of twentyfour Jaina Tirthankaras. Tirunatharkunru. ca. 9th century A.D.
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The list given above does not include early sites without Tamil-Brāhmī or Early Vaṭṭeḻuttu inscriptions as at Virasikhamani (Tirunelveli District), Kuppal Nattam, Puttur and Uttamapalaiyam (Madurai region). More new sites with Jaina sculptures and Vaṭṭeḻuttu inscriptions came up in the Pāṇṭiya country, especially in the Madurai region, during 8th-10th centuries a.d., when there was a marked revival of Jainism led by illustrious monks like Accaṇanti. Among these later sites, the most famous was at Kuraṇṭi Kāṭṭāmpaḷḷi of which no trace remains at present.¹ Other important Jaina centres which came up in this period include those at Samanamalai, Settipodavu and Peccipallam in the Madurai region, Kalugumalai (Tirunelveli District), Tirumalai (North Arcot District) and Vedal. Samanamalai in the Pāṇṭiya region in the south and Jina Kāñci (near Kanchipuram) in the Pallava region in the north flourished as great centres of Jaina learning till about the end of the 12th century a.d. after which Jainism went into a steady decline in the Tamil country.
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¹ R. Champakalakshmi 1975: pp. 84-90.