Holy Abodes of the Śramaṇas

Summary

This long article surveys a network of early Jain monastic sites across Tamil Nadu that were occupied by śramaṇa ascetics between the 2nd century BCE and the 10th century CE. The author takes readers to hillocks and riverbanks where natural caverns were modified with rock‑cut beds, water cisterns and inscriptions to provide shelter for wandering monks. Sites such as Anaimalai, Arittapatti, Mangulam, Muttupatti and Pugalur contain clusters of stone benches carved directly into the bedrock. Many beds have raised headrests or carved pillows and some bear early Tamil‑Brahmi inscriptions naming donors such as merchants, village elders and local chiefs, confirming that lay patrons supported the Jain monastic tradition. The article describes how monks at Mangulam created a gallery of seventeen beds across the granite face of the hill and how the Arittapatti caves were adapted with cisterns to collect rainwater. At Pugalur, above the Karur plains, four caverns each contain multiple beds and a drip‑ledge carved to prevent rainwater entering the shelter. The author notes that the inscriptions often include the donor’s name and title and the religious formula “śri” or “namo arahantānam,” indicating reverence for the Jinas. In later periods, local rulers such as the Pandyans and the Cholas re‑carved some sites and added bas‑reliefs of Tirthaṅkaras or deities such as Ambikā. The narrative emphasises that these “holy abodes” were pragmatic shelters rather than ornate temples; monks slept on bare rock beds and subsisted on alms, demonstrating the austere lifestyle of early Jain ascetics. Photographs and measured drawings accompany the descriptions, enabling readers to visualise the geometry of the beds and the rugged beauty of the hills. The author concludes that these cave sites constitute an invaluable archaeological record of Jainism’s spread into southern India and calls for their protection from vandalism and quarrying. By mapping the geographic distribution of the caves and analysing their inscriptions, the article situates the Tamil caves within broader patterns of Jain pilgrimage and settlement and highlights their importance as a heritage legacy for present and future generationshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sittanavasal_Cave#:~:text=The%20monument%20is%20a%20rock,5https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirupparankundram_Rock-cut_Cave_and_Inscription#:~:text=,between%20the%208th%20and%2013th.