Monday 6 March 2023

Thenimalai Tirthankara image and inscriptions, Thenimalai, Pudukkottai District, Tamil Nadu.

The Visit to this Theni malai  Tirthankaras at Thenimalai in Pudukkottai District was a part of Pudukkottai Heritage walk, on 7th and 8th January 2023, organised jointly by Aatrupadai, TTDC and Ula. Thanks to M/s Trichy Parthy, Prabhaharan and Francis Edison.
 

This place was also called as “Andarmadam”. This is a Jain monument in which a Jain Tirthankara image in the form of bas-relief is sculpted on a boulder with an inscription below that. The Tirthankara is in ardha padmasana and meditation posture. There is a big boulder which is in the form of natural shelter / natural cave. It is believed that the shelter had Jain beds which is not visible now.


A zigzag cut on the rock to avoid water dripping in to the cave

Just opposite to this monument, out side the ASI fence, there is an inscription on the boulder, which is connected to this Jain Tirthankara's  monument.


இது தேனிமலையின் முருகன் கோயிலின் அருகே இந்திய தொல்லியல் துறையின் கட்டுப்பாட்டில் உள்ள சமண சமயத்தின் தொல்லியல் சின்னமாகும். இங்கு ஒரு பாறையில் சமண தீர்த்தங்கரரின் புடைப்புச் சிற்பமும், அதற்கு கீழே அதை வெட்டுவித்தவரின் பெயரும் கல்வெட்டாக காணக் கிடைக்கின்றது. மேலும் அதன் அருகே ஒரு பாறை மீது இருக்குவேல் என்பவர் தவத்தில் இருக்கும் மலையதுவஜன் என்ற சமண துறவிக்கு வரி நீக்கப்பட்ட நிலம் பள்ளிச்சந்தமாக தானம் செய்யப்பட்டதை பதிவு செய்கின்றது. இருக்குவேல் யார் என்பது அறியக்கூடவில்லை. 


HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS
The inscription, on the boulder near the ASI fence belongs to Irukkuvel ( which Irukkuvel is not known ). The inscription records that on seeing Malayadhvajan performing penance on the Tenur hill, Irukkuvel paid homage to him and gave for ( his ) maintenance, tax free lands measuring four and a quarter ( ?) as Pallichandam. May the feet of whoever preserves this charity be for ever on our head.


The inscription below the Tirthankara’s image is in four lines in Tamil language. This inscription records that the image ( tirumeni )  was carved by Sri Valla Udhana Seruvotti.


HOW TO REACH:
Thenimalai is  9 KM from Ponnamaravathi, 27 KM from Thirumayam, 28.5 KM from Pudukkottai,  72 KM from Trichy and 400 KM from Chennai.
Nearest Railway Station is Thirumayam and Pudukkottai.

Ref:
Pudukkottai Mavatta Kalvettukal.

LOCATION OF THE TEMPLE : CLICK HERE

Murugan Temle on the top of the hill
A recent period inscription on the rock of the shelter
May be a rock art
A recent period inscription near the pond
 A natural pond for drinking water 
--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---

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