The Adhiyaman's Jambai Tamizhi inscriptions, Jain Beds, Prehistoric Rock Paintings, & Chekku with Inscriptions, Jambai, Thiruvannamalai / Tiruvannamalai District, Tamil Nadu.

The visit to this hill, Jambai, was a part of the Tiruvannamalai Heritage Walk organized by the Tiruvannamalai District Historical Research Center on 30^th December 2018. After the visit to the Jambai Sri Jambunatha Swamy /Jambukeswarar Shiva temple, our next visit was to the Jambai hill. Had our lunch at an Amman Temple on the banks of Jambai Lake. From the Amman Temple started trekking up the hill to see the inscription, Jain beds, and prehistoric paintings. The hill has many natural shelters formed by the boulders and rocks. The second time also visited as a part of the Villupuram Heritage Visit organized by History Trails on 24-25th July 2021.

JAMBAI INSCRIPTION.

One of the shelters at Dasi Madam has the Brahmi inscription, and the same reads as...

“sathyaputho Athiyan Neduman Anji Eeththa paaLi.

( ஸதியபுதோ அதியந் நெடுமாந் அஞ்சி ஈத்த பாளி ).

This famous inscription contains 24 letters and gives the key to the missing link of “Sathya Puthira”  mentioned in the 3^rd Century BCE Mauryan King Ashoka’s inscription, inscribed in 4 places. The Jambai inscription was identified by an archaeology student, Ka. Selvaraj in 1981, and an article was published by Dr. R. Nagaswamy, confirming that the mentioned “Sathya Puthira “ is only Adhiyaman.   

The Maurya King Ashoka’s inscriptions, inscribed in 4 places of the country, read as...

Kilark Inscription: யதா சோடா பண்டா சதியபுதோ கேதல புதோ

Kalsi Inscription : யதா சோடா பாண்டிய சதியபுதோ கேதல புதோ

Joukatha inscription: அதி சோட பாண்டிய சதியபுத ( இதில் கேரள புத்ர இல்லை)

Sabas Inscription: யி… பாண்டிய சதியபுத்ர கேதல புத்ர.

In the above inscriptions, the Indian Historians can identify Chera, Chozha, and Pandya, and could not come to a conclusion about who that “Sathiya puthra”- சதியபுத்ர.

The Satya Putras ruled the Thagadoor area (Krishnagiri area)  in the 3^rd Century BCE. They ruled Kongu, Kuthirai Malai, East of Cauvery to South of Namakkal, keeping Thagadur as the Capital. During the Sangam period, King Adhiyaman in the 3^rd Century BCE, ruled this area, keeping Thagadur as the capital. Since Jambai was not a part of Adhiyaman's territory, then how was this inscription inscribed in the Jambai hills?  To answer this, the Historians quote the literature. As per the literature, after conquering the Malayaman Nadu’s king Thirumudi Kari, the Thirukovilur, Jambai became a part of his territory. On the way to Thagadur, Adhiyaman gifted these carved beds to the Jain monks. This is a wild guess of the historians. As per the Historians, the name  “Sathya Puthran” mentioned in Jambai and four other places is about the same person, i.e., Adhiyaman. Dr. Nagasamy also confirms the same and said Sathya Puthras ruled Thagadoor during the Sangam period. It is to be noted that the Jambai inscription is a mixture of Sanskrit and Tamil. This was due to the influence of the Jain Monks who came from the North.

  ஸதியபுதோ அதியந் நெடுமாந் அஞ்சி ஈத்த பாளி 

தமிழ்நாடு அரசு அறிவிப்புபலகையின் படி..

இம்மலையின் குகைத்தளத்திலுள்ள பண்டைத்தமிழ் எழுத்துக்களால் (தமிழ் - பிராமி) பொறிக்கப்பட்டக் கல்வெட்டொன்று காணப்படுகின்றது. இக்கல்வெட்டின் வாசகம் "ஸதியபுதோ நெடுமாந் அஞ்சி ஈத்த ப(ள்)ளி" என்பதாகும். அதியன் நெடுமான் அஞ்சி அமைத்த பள்ளி என்பது இதன் பொருள். இக்கல்வெட்டின் எழுத்தமைதியைக் கொண்டு இதனின் காலம் கிபி முதல் நூற்றாண்டு எனலாம். சங்க காலத்தில் தகடூரைத் (இன்றைய தர்மபுரி) தலைமையிடமாகக் கொண்டு ஆட்சி செய்த அதியமான் நெடுமான் அஞ்சி என்ற சிற்ரரசன் பற்றி புறநானூறு எடுத்துரைக்கிறது. மௌரியப்பேரரசன் அசோகனது பாறைக் கல்வெட்டில் சேரர், சோழர், பாண்டியர் மற்றும் சதியபுத்ரர்  ஆகியோரைப் பற்றிக் குறிப்பிடுகிறது. சதியபுத்ரர் என்பார் அதியர் மரபினரே என்பதற்குச் சான்றாக  இக்கல்வெட்டு வரலாற்றுக்குத் துணை நிற்கிறது. 

JAIN BEDS:

A little above the inscription shelter, there is a shelter in which 3 beds are carved on the rock surface. These beds are the ones that are referred to in the Jambai inscriptions. These beds were carved by the Sathya Puthiran Adhiyan Nedumananji, who ruled this area in the 3^rd Century.

Medicinal grinding pit

ROCK PAINTINGS

The Jambai hill has many shelters that have been continuously used from the prehistoric period to the Jains period.  The broken pieces of the black and red pots are proof of the prehistoric period usage. The Paintings are like Sun rays/flowers. The flower arrangement looks like a carpet. The paintings are done using red, yellow, and black ochre.

STONE CHEKKU WITH INSCRIPTION

On return, we happened to see this stone Chekku half buried in the lake bed.  Hope this chekku for extracting old made for public usage by the donor or the King. 10^th to 11th-century Tamil inscriptions are found on the face of the Chekku. Since the stone chekku was buried half in the lake bed, the inscriptions could not be read completely.

LOCATION:

 Purposely inverted the picture to read the inscription

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---