Enchanting Kazhugumalai, a symbol of religious harmony

By J Arockiaraj

TUTICORIN: Carved in the immortality of hard granite in the eighth century, the 1200-year-old sculptures at Vettuvankoil, the monolith temple in Kazhugumalai, speak volumes about its master craftsmen.
According to history and archaeology scholars, the uniqueness of the Vettuvankoil is the monolith 'vimanah', which is unlike the monolith ratham in Ellora and Mahabalipuram. And the site is the first example of Pandya's rich architectural skills, working on hard stones. There are about 122 sculptures in the rock cut temple with 13 statues dedicated for gods, 14 women, four nandhis, six unknown figures and 80 'boodakanangal'.

While the sculpture of Lord Uma Maheswara (Shiva - Parvathi) depicts them in a casual chatter, the one of Lord Dhakshinamurthy seems to be immersed in playing his eternal music from 'magara yazh' (Lyre). It is believed these sculptures are unique and not found anywhere else. The sculptures display a unique chubbiness in their countenances not found in other temples for even the lions carved in the stones are very comical. On the contrary are the bas relief panels of Jain monuments very near to the temple where the Theerthankaras are found frozen in the stone in their everlasting meditation, with their faces glowing in divine serenity.

R Venkataraman, a historian based in Madurai says the sculptures in Vettuvankoil can be distinguished by their chubby countenances itself. "Both the deities in Vettuvankoil and Jain sculptures are two different forms of devotion. While Saiviite temple displays the ecstasy of divine experience, the Jain sculptures speak the indulgence of it, within the inner soul. Interestingly, both the religions - Hinduism and Jainism - thrived in the same region at the same period, thus narrating the religious harmony in those days," he said. Another historical monument in Kazhugumalai is the cave temple of Lord Kaluguchalamurthy that attracts many pilgrims.

Kazhugumalai is believed to be the university of Jain philosophy, especially the abode of Dikambara monks. Though the Jains were living in the hills from the first and second century AD onwards, the present stone architecture evolved around the 8th and 9th centuries when Jainism thrived in the region. Though prosecuted in the 6th century at the rule of Koon Pandian, the Jains came back in the 7th century, patronized by Cheranmahadevi, the wife of Pandiya king Veeranarayanan and established the stone architecture in the hillock, he said. "It is from here, the Jain monuments, including the ones in Madurai flourished as the disciples of Jain monks from Kazhugumalai carried the stone carving methods to their new destinations and the hillocks of Madurai and other places acted as the colleges while Kazhugumalai was considered as university," Venkataraman said.

"Moreover, Kazhugumalai is the birth place of iconology, the study of placing the deities in the temples," says Venkataraman. "Based on the method followed in Vettuvankoil even during the eighth century, the 'agama' of placing deities evolved later in 10th century thus creating a rule book," he mentioned.

From TOI

Jain connections in Cholas

An Inscription of Rajendra II, belonging to the 11th Century, has been found in Kailasanathar temple at Deepankudi in Kodavasal taluk in Tiruvrur district recently.

G.Thillai Govindarajan, Headmaster, Panchayat Union Primary school, Kothankudi, who is carrying out a project with the aid of New Delhi Nehru Trust of Indian Collections under the title "Jainism in Thanjavur district" has found the inscription during the field study.

The inscription belonging to the period of Rajendra II, is found in a pillar of six ft height in the temple premises which is under renovation. Inscription is engraved in all the four sides of the pillar. It starts with the praising of the King. It registers about donations offered to the presiding deity, Kailasanatha of Siva temple by Arulmozhinangai, sister of Rajendra II and the daughter of Rajendra I. On her behalf, it was inscribed by Aramabanandi, a Jain who belonged to Deepankudi temple. The inscription also records about the donations for offering rice, vegetables and curd rice daily for the presiding deity. The Jain temple of Deepankudi is in worship now.

An inscription found in Sttambur near Chenji in Tamil Nadu speaks about a Jain known as Aramanandi.

Rani Attimabbe & Lakkundi Temples

Temple tales

The temples at Lakkundi in Gadag district have been declared protected monuments by the Archaeological Survey of India. A visit to some of these temples will throw light on the need for preserving these heritage sites, says Shyam Sundar Vattam.

Gadag district has been termed one of the most backward districts in the State due to the long spell of drought faced by it. In spite of being backward from many aspects, Gadag district in north Karnataka has been home to many ancient temples. The only difference has been that the number of people who visit the temples here is much less when compared with the archeological sites in south Karnataka. This is mainly because of the lack of facilities and inadequate
publicity.

Of late, this place is gaining importance because of the Lakkundi Utsav, a cultural festival held every year to honour an outstanding woman writer in Kannada with the Attimabbe award. It is mainly through this festival that the people in other districts have got to know about Lakkundi.

Lakkundi is a village situated about 12 kms from Gadag City. It is on the Gadag-Bellary Road. It is considered unique because of its 101 temples, 101 wells and 101 lingas. It is believed Lakkundi was known as Valurapura during the period of King Shibhi. Although there is no inscription to prove it, residents of this village say it finds a mention in the Puranas. Most of the inscriptions found in and around Lakkundi speak of the social condition of the period, construction of
temples and gifting of land by people for building temples. The coins found here lend credence to the presence of a mint in the 11th and 12th century at Lakkundi . The coins made out of gold from this mint were called Lokkinishka or Lokkigadanya. The inscriptions found in Managundi give details about the gold coins from this mint which was under the control of a person, Amajashetty. These coins were in circulation in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in those days. These collections reflect the glory of this place during the period. Even now, the people of this village search for these coins whenever heavy rains lash the village.

Many poets have described the glory of Lakkundi. The Chalukyas of Kalyani built a number of temples at this place. These temples were damaged during the attack by the Cholas in 1087 and they were subsequently restored by the rulers. Every stone in these temples speaks of the richness of this dynasty.

An inscription found at Annigeri in Navalgund taluk says that Goggarasa damaged a number of Jaina basadis in the region to check the growing popularity of Jainism in 1184. When he was about to damage Jain basadis at Lakkundi, Goggarasa came to know that it was built by Rani Attimabbe and went back. Attimabbe constructed about 1500 Jain basadis and the 1501st basadi was built in 1007 AD. While the fate of the 1500 basadis is not known, the last one is in
Lakkundi. This basadi collapsed in 1040 AD, but it was rebuilt by Bharatarya in 1048-49 and renamed Brahma Jinalaya.

Attimabbe was born in 950 AD to Mallappa and Appakabbe at Punganur in Chitoor district of Andhra Pradesh. She got married to Nagideva in 965 AD and lost her husband in 984 AD. In spite of this personal tragedy, she continued to promote the cause of religion. She along
with her uncle collected 'Ajita Purana' the work of Poet Ranna, go it copied onto 1000 palm leaves and distributed it to people. Apart from religious work, the queen was known for philanthropic work which fetched her the title 'Dana Chintamani'.

Some of the important temples of Lakkundi are: Nanneshwara, Trikoota Basaveshwara, Chandramouleshwara, Kumbareshwara, Kote Veerabhadreshwara, Neelakanteshwara, Halagunda, Basavanna Virupaksha, Laxminarayana, Manikeshwara and Virupaksha.

According to officials, the district administration has chalked out a number of programmes to promote Lakkundi as a place of historical importance. Plans are afoot to undertake excavation in and around Lakkundi to gather more information about the place. All the temples at Lakkundi have been declared protected monuments by the Archeological Survey of India. A visit to these temples will throw light on the need for preserving these heritage sites.

Jain History of Tamil Nadu vandalised

T.S. SUBRAMANIAN
The noses of the bas-reliefs of two Jaina tirthankaras at Keezhavalavu have been smashed by vandals.

SANGAM age Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions on the brows of caves, hundreds of beds known as Jaina beds sculpted on their floors, beautiful bas-reliefs of Jaina tirthankaras and exquisite paintings by prehistoric artists are facing destruction in the hills in the vicinity of Madurai in Tamil Nadu owing to large-scale granite quarrying and vandalism. Real estate sharks have destroyed Iron Age burial sites near these hills. The sites, datable from 2nd century B.C to 3rd century A.D., constitute an invaluable cultural treasure. The inscriptions offer evidence to Tamil’s classical language status and throw light on the advent and spread of Jainism in the Tamil Sangam age and the later period in the region. The sites hold a wealth of information on how kings, chieftains, traders, village chiefs and even ordinary people patronised Jainism and made donations for the sculpting of Jaina beds. They also provide interesting information on the trade guilds that existed during the period because many of these hills lie on the trade routes of that period.

Quarrying has been going on at these sites in total violation of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, and the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1966. The first one, a piece of federal legislation, applies to protected monuments under the control of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which functions under the Government of India. The second one is a State law and applies to the protected monuments that come under the Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department. No construction or mining activity is allowed up to 100 metres of the prohibited area beyond the protected limits of the site. Beyond the 100 m, up to a distance of another 200 m, is the regulated area, where, under the terms and conditions of a licence granted by the Director-General of the ASI, mining or construction can be done if it does not affect the site. All these provisions apply to monuments coming under the State Archaeology Department, too. As per the procedure, the Assistant Director (Mines and Geology) of the district concerned, on behalf of the Collector, would auction the hill. The Collector would give the contractor who wins the bid a licence for quarrying.

A letter dated September 23, 1996, went out from the Department of Tamil Development and Culture that “in future… the District Collectors should consult the Archaeology Department and only with its permission they should give the licence to private parties for quarrying the hills which have heritage monuments.” For, it said, “Tamil inscriptions, which are about 2,300 years old, are found only in the caves of hills. They provided the best evidence for learning about the Tamil Sangam age and the Tamil society that existed prior to the Sangam age.” However, the letter said, quarrying was under way not only to export granite but also to sell it locally.

It is our nature to desire endlessly, because continuously we are seeing what others are having and wanting all that for ourselves..... For example: You go to the shop to buy a fan for your house. But on the way you meet some friends on the road, who tell you that they are going to buy some other things in other shops. Immediately, you are tempted to buy them and so you change your track and go and buy along with them. Then you find that you don’t have enough money to buy your fan!

If you start comparing and living out others’ desires, you will land yourself in deep trouble because you will not know where you stand. Always measure yourself with your own meter, never with others’ meters. It is the most foolish and dangerous thing to do.

There are 31 Tamil-Brahmi sites in the State, with 90 inscriptions. Of them, 11 are protected monuments under the State Archaeology Department and seven are under the ASI. Quarry contractors appear to have violated the provisions of both laws with regard to the protected monuments.

Take for instance the Tamil-Brahmi site at Tiruvadavur, 20 km from Madurai, with two Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions and prehistoric paintings of concentric circles. This is a protected site coming under the State Archaeology Department. The inscriptions, belonging to the 2nd century B.C., talk about how Aridhan of Pangadu village and Upasan had sculpted the beds on the cave floor. Iravatham Mahadevan, a renowned scholar on Tamil-Brahmi and Indus scripts, deciphered the two inscriptions in 1996.

Tiruvadavur is now the most disturbed Tamil-Brahmi site in the State, with a huge quarry situated right at the foot of the hill. Quarrying has progressed so deep that the site looks like an open-cast mine. All round the quarry, for several kilometres, granite blocks as big as a truck or a car, are stacked on either side of the village roads. There is a surreal scene too: a nearby hill has been sliced in half, as if it were a cake. An official of the State Archaeology Department admitted that quarrying was under way within the prohibited/regulated area, that is, within 300 m of the protected limits of the monument.

T.S. Sridhar, Principal Secretary and Commissioner, State Archaeology Department, said that on paper nothing would be illegal. But after obtaining the licence, quarrying would take place right inside the prohibited/regulated areas.

At the entrance to the historical site at Keezhavalavu village, 38 km from Madurai, an ASI board announces that the monument is of national importance. The hill treasures a long Tamil-Brahmi inscription chiselled boldly from right to left and some letters written upside down on the brow of a cavern; three sculptures of Jaina tirthankaras above the inscription; Jaina beds; and a little away, a line of six sculptures of tirthankaras. On an adjoining hillock, there is a series of Jaina beds; and two circular hollows, excavated from rock floors, with Tamil and Grantha inscriptions.

Sathyabhama Badhreenath, Superintending Archaeologist, ASI (Chennai circle), admitted: “The entire hill is protected at Keezhavalavu. Quarrying went on within the protected area.”
The Society for Community Organisation (SOCO) Trust, Madurai, objected to quarrying within the protected limits. A. Mahaboob Batcha, managing trustee, and S. Bhuvaneswari and G. Pandi, both Keezhavalavu residents, went to court. The ASI, TAMIN (Tamil Nadu Minerals Limited, a State government undertaking) and others were the respondents. T. Lajapathi Roy, counsel for SOCO Trust, one of the petitioners, argued that quarrying went on within the nucleus of the protected area. The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court appointed M. Ajmal Khan and K. Srinivasan as advocate commissioners. They found “quarrying operation being carried on in an area of 8.60.5 ha [hectares] within the said notified area of 20.95.5 ha.”

The High Court granted an injunction and stayed the quarrying within the protected limits. A final order is yet to be passed.

Vandalism, too, is rampant at Keezhavalavu. If the sculptures of the group of six tirthankaras remained unharmed when this writer visited the site in December 2008, the noses of two tirthankaras appeared smashed up during a visit in March 2009. There is graffiti everywhere. The ASI had erected two pillars to support an awning above the sculptures of three tirthankaras. The awning is gone and only the hideous-looking pillars remain, obscuring the view of the tirthankaras.

The hillock at Melakkuyilkudi, on the outskirts of Madurai, is another protected monument of the ASI. Here, there were 10 Jaina beds, which commanded a beautiful view of the paddyfields below and the Nagamalai hill at a distance. But illegal quarrying has led to the collapse of the hillock. Falling boulders have splintered the beds. Today, only two beds remain intact.

At Muthupatti, near Karadipatti on the Perumalmalai hill, there are three Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions, all belonging to the first century B.C. They talk about the donations made by Anthai of Nagaperur and Ilamagan Kodan of Musiri, and Saialan of Vindhaiyur for excavating the Jaina beds. This is an ASI-protected monument. Quarrying went on here within the prohibited/regulated limits but stopped a few years ago. It revived in recent months. However, after a vigilant Tamil press highlighted the fact, the District Collector stopped the illegal quarrying.

Kongar Puliyankulam has three Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions on the brow of a cavern, more than 50 Jaina beds, which have been defaced with symbols of political parties and names of people painted or engraved on them, and a sculpture of a tirthankara. This is a protected monument under the State Archaeology Department. Two hillocks in this area have disappeared, with every boulder having been removed. Quarrying went on at the spot and created artificial lakes. Varichiyur on the Madurai-Sivaganga road, has on an amorphously formed hillock three Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions and some Jaina beds. Quarrying on the edges of the hillock has made the rock-cut Nilakantesvara shrine sit perilously.

The six Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions of the 2nd century B.C. on the brow of five caverns on the Kazhugumalai hill near Mankulam, 38 km from Madurai, are the most ancient ones in Tamil Nadu and establish the historical facts that the Pandyan king Nedunchezhiyan ruled in the 2nd century B.C. and that Sangam literature dates back to the same period. The inscriptions also have mention about the trade guilds of the period and about a group of Jaina monks headed by Kani Nandan who stayed in the five caverns.

While the vandals have spared the inscriptions, they have defaced the Jaina beds and pulled down the fencing around them. If this is the plight of protected sites, the situation at unprotected sites such as Tirumalai in Sivaganga district and Arittapatti near Madurai is worse. Since Madurai was the Pandyan capital and an important trading centre, Jaina monks chose the ancient town for the propagation of their religion. It was only in 7th century A.D. that bas-reliefs of tirthankaras began to come up near the Tamil-Brahmi sites and elsewhere.

K.T. Gandhirajan, specialist in art history who recently documented the Tamil-Brahmi sites in Tamil Nadu, said, “It is at Mankulam, Arittapatti, Tiruvadavur, Mannarkovil, and so on that we get the evidence that Tamil is a classical language.” He is pained that the ambience of these sites are marred by the activities of quarry contractors, vandals and others. Sridhar said the State Archaeology Department was “totally helpless” in the matter. “We can only protect the monument by fencing it,” he said.

Whenever the department discovered any violation it reported the matter to the district administration. When use of explosives in the Keezhvalai hill posed a threat to pre-historic paintings there and a temple at Perumukkal, the department took up the matter with the Collector and quarrying was stopped there, Sridhar said. The department had no punitive powers to bring the vandals to book. He suggested that involvement of the local community was the only way to prevent vandalism of the monuments.

Sathyabhama Badhreenath is unhappy that the district administration does not consult the ASI when the rights for quarrying around a protected monument are granted. “We continuously write to the Collector or the Assistant Director. We give them a copy of our rules. I have written to all the Collectors with a list of protected monuments in their districts so that they are at least aware that there are archaeological sites of importance in their districts,” she said. She said she wrote to the Madurai Collector and was able to prevent quarrying at Keezhaiyur. A heritage enthusiast suggested that the ASI or the State Archaeology Department be empowered to grant licences for quarrying near protected monuments.

Conservation of Jain Monuments

BY MR. SUBHASH JAIN


The known history of India is a few thousand years old. During this long time span several religions and their philosophical thoughts have emerged. After having depth realisation of their irrespective philosophy, the ace religious leaders, preachers and philosophers have Provo gated among the masses the best of their principles for their spiritual and general well being.

It is interesting that the main doctrines of all the religions are similar in spirit but their followers have made their own interpretation according to their convenience, which have created gulf in religious though and thereby the aversion.

However, the great persons of all the religions have targeted upon spiritual and moral uplift of man. The religions have become strong medium of common harmony among the followers of the same faith, whereas the different interpretations have carried the followers of one faith distantly from the others.

Whatever may be religious differences in propagation of philosophical thoughts, for transformation into action, the man's desire to create the magnificent and memorable monuments has been alike. Such monuments attract the people of all faiths and that is why, the places of touristic importance having much attractive monuments invite the tourists from world over.

Whereas the affluent nations have the resources to protect and maintain their monuments on national level and increase their touristic importance more and more by publicity, renovation and keep, the poor nations face the misfortune of gradual deterioration of even the national importance monuments in the absence of adequate funds to maintain and protect those.
Jain religion is an oldest living religion. Its antiquity is yet undecided. The Jains believe their religion as eternal whereas the historians feel the absence of the proof. However, the existence of many monuments of pre-Christian era compels them to accept the comparative antiquity of Jain religion.

The Jain monuments, small and large, old and new, have been built in almost all parts of India. Though the Jains are decidedly a richer community of the country, but their apathy towards maintenance of all the monuments of antiquity is agonising.

All the 24 Jain Trithankaras, according to the Jains, were born in the royal, Ksatriya families. Their influence on the common masses, both by heredity and their great renunciation, was immense. Their followers, who mostly belonged to the trading community, effected various types of structures to keep the memory of their 'Istdev' everlasting. That is why the Jain monuments, throughout the length and width of the country abound in number.

All matter has certain life; decay is a natural phenomena. But it is the man's effort which can put the decay to a later period, i.e. increase the life of the monument.

It is pity that the apathy of the Jain community towards their old monuments still exists, though lesser in degree. The last two decades have seen a substantial urge in the Government and the elite people for protecting their monuments within the limits of their resources.

The fact remains that most of the old monuments of the Jains in the country, are still lacking funds through their managing committees, philanthropists and governments. To over come the grim situation and to advance further in the protection of the crumbling monuments. I have certain points to suggest:-

1. There should be a total survey of all the Jains monuments in the country by an expert team of Achaelogists, who should grade the monuments according to their present condition, viz;

(i) Which are in imminent danger of falling because of much antiquity, weather effects or public damage. This type of monuments should receive the highest attention for their renovation and proper maintenance and to save those from further. damage.

(ii) Those monuments, the decay in which is in middle stage, such monuments also need renovation as early as possible.

(iii) Those monuments where the process of deterioration has started.In the case of such monuments even minor renovation can enhance their life and the structural attraction.
Bihar and Karnataka have been the oldest seats of the Jains, according to the historians. The result has been that these two states have the oldest Jain monuments. The characteristic of the monuments of the southern region is that being carved out of comparatively harder stone, they are still in better condition, with the expectation of few, which are directly exposed to wet air and where the deterioration is there by more prominent.

The monuments in other states of India, particularly in Gyaraspur region of Madhya Pradesh and at many sites in Rajasthan are special more degraded, because of direct exposure to vagaries of weather, long neglect and constant public damage.

It is awaful that the massive 'Mahadevi' temple in Gyaraspur which can be rightly said the konark type temple and which will involve a cost of atleast several rores of rupees, if built now, is seeing its worst days, because of absolute neglect, both of the local people and the affluent Jain society. The government too has not shown any inertest in this magnificent temple, which has a fine and delicate latice work.

Several Jain icons in the temple in the standing posture are sixteen feet or above in height. The roofs of the temple are in precarious condition. Similar is the fate of a small but old Jain temple by the name of 'VAJRAMATH' standing on the road side. Several temples made of small bricks have the broken roofs. All these deserve the Jain community's priority concern.

Not only this, but many of the old Jain sites in the country have similar tale to tell.

The largest treasure of Jain icons at 'Deograh'. 'Chanderi', 'Ahar' etc. are in no way being kept well. Even most of the beautiful images which these treasure houses have, are facing neglect and are without proper display to exhibit the fine and delicate art of sculpturing .

Whereas the affluent Jains spend huge amounts on construction of new temples and holding 'panch Kalyanak Partisthas at very high expense, it is their primary duty to first protect, fully renovate and maintain their degraded structures in the country.


Article From 'Sixth World Jain Conference' ( 1995) Souvenir