Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century A.D. c23.s14.10

c23.s14.10

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.