Jains and Tiruchengode Hills, Tiruchengode, Namakkal District, Tamil Nadu.

 13^th November 2016.

After attending Sakthi’s housewarming ceremony at Erode, decided to trek Tiruchengode hill through steps to see the Chozha and Pandya Period inscriptions and Jain’s beds. This Heritage group was led by Mr Srinivasan, an enthusiast and others M/s Raja, Nandha Kumar, Santhosh, and Vijay and self are followed. We looked the Tiruchengode Hill from a different perspective. It was news to me that the hill has the Jain beds and Chozha and Pandya period inscriptions through Mr Srinivasan.  Learned a lot through the trekking. Thanks to Mr Srinivasan.

   

The sacred Tiruchengode hill is dedicated to Sri Ardhanareeswarar and Sri Murugan and we know many saints who visited this temple had sang hymns & songs. But it is very hard to believe that the hill was under the control of Jain monks once during the 6^th and 7^th centuries. But it is a fact that the Jain monks lived in the hill caves and left their evidence in the form of beds and places for preparing medicines. The Jain spreads their religion through teachings and treating deceases through herbal medicines.  There are two such caves available on the route from the present Shiva Ardhanareeswarar sanctum to Uchi Pillayar shrine. May have some other beds too on the other parts of the hill, if we explore. The cave near the Uchi Pillayar shrine is easily accessible with steps cut into the rock and another one is very difficult to access.

The cave has symbols and inscriptions. The inscriptions are in not readable condition and damaged condition. No Brahmi inscriptions are found.

LOCATION OF THE THE JAIN SITE: CLICK HERE

 View of the  hill from the base 

 How many years has the top stone ball been standing?

 A Cave on the side of the Ganapathy shrine 

 A Cave without beds 

 The explorers – happy moment after finding the  First cave with beds 

 The four beds in the first cave 

 The four beds in the first cave 

 The symbol chiseled on the beds – what for?

 The four beds in the first cave 

 Searching for the Water storage pond 

 Searching for the Water storage pond 

 Holes used to grind medicines 

 Holes used to grind medicines 

 The  second cave entrance – near Uchi Pillayar Temple 

 Two beds on the lower deck 

 The three beds on the upper deck 

 The Pali- water Pond used by the Jain monks 

 The Pali- water Pond used by the Jain monks 

 The Pali- water Pond used by the Jain monks 

 The team that explored

 --- OM SHIVAYA NAMA---