Karuppa Samy Karadu Rock Arts, near Uppukottai and Gundalnayakanpatti, Theni District, Tamil Nadu.

This visit to the Karuppa Samy Karadu Rock Arts near Uppukottai and Gundalnayakanpatti, in Theni District, was a part of Varusanadu Payanam, a Heritage walk to the temples and Heritage sites, organised by Aatrupadai, on 20^th – 21^st September 2025. Thanks to திருச்சி பார்த்தி, Prabaharan, and Bala Bharathi.

 

This Karuppa Samy Karadu is near Gundalnayakanpatti and Uppukottai. A stucco image of Karuppa Samy and a dog is in front of the cave, along with sikles. They are worshipped by the locals.

This natural cave formed between boulders, one level below the top of the small hill, also called Karadu. The cave is very narrow, through which one person can go in a crawling position. On the west side of the boulder surface, Rock Arts are done in white ochre. The art contains human beings in line form. In addition to the humans, there is an art which depicts a man riding on a horse-like animal.

 

In addition to the rock arts, recent years drawings have been made outside the cave. This art contains a tiger, a dog, a Deer, a wolf, etc. A man riding on a horse, a man carrying a kavadi(?), and men playing drum, Nadaswaram, etc., (looks like celebrations). The recent period art shows the celebration continues from the time humans lived in the caves to the present time.

LOCATION OF THE ROCK ART SITE: CLICK HERE

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Moonandipatti Rock Arts, Near Pullimancombai, Theni District, Tamil Nadu.

This visit to the Moonandipatti Rock Arts, near Pullimancombai in Theni District, was a part of Varusanadu Payanam, a Heritage walk to the temples and Heritage Sites, organised by Aatrupadai, on 20^th – 21^st September 2025. Thanks to திருச்சி பார்த்தி, Prabaharan, and Bala Bharathi. 

This natural cave consists of white and red ochre rock art drawn in various periods. This cave near Pullimancombai is on the ancient trade route, which might have been used by the traders also after the Stone Age humans.

The details of the red ochre paintings are not known. As per the experts, some paintings are in geometrical patterns, of which one represents a river nearby. These red ochre paintings are the oldest amongst the arts available in this natural cave.

As per the experts, these geometrical parallel lines represent the river nearby. 

The white ochre paintings consist of men, holding sword-like weapons, Valari, etc. On one man’s hip, a kattar/sword-like weapon is tied. There are three men standing in a row. (Due to this, this place might have obtained the name Moonandipatti). 

One of the interesting Rock art is that a man holds a valari (boomerang) in his right hand. There are two types of Valari, one of which hits the target alone, and the other type is that the Valari returns after hitting the target. The Valari, which was used for hunting during the prehistoric period, and also used as a war weapon in the southern districts against the British. 

A pregnant lady in an excited state, with her hands stretched sideways and fingers open, is found separately. Below the lady, the sun, the moon with a star, and some unidentified art are seen. As per the experts, this may be connected to some ritual for the pregnant lady’s death. And also, this rock art may be considered the earliest form of the Hero Stone. Similar art, sun, moon, with a Trishul, is also found in one group. (The same trishul art was also found in a tea shop.)

Trishul Art was found in a tea shop

LOCATION OF THE ROCK ARTS: CLICK HERE

Deer

The caveman? (The author)

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Kizhavikulam Malai (Paarai Pallam) Rock Art Site / கிழவிகுளம் மலை (பாறைப்பள்ளம்) பாறை ஓவிய புடவு, Madurai District, Tamil Nadu.

The visit to Kizhavikulam Malai, a Rock Arts Site, Madurai, was a part of “Traditional Journey to Yanaimalai”, on 31^st August 2025, organized by the Kumbakonam Heritage by Gopinath, and kumbakonamheritage.com. Thanks to Prof. Devi Arivu Selvam for leading our Heritage Journey with valuable inputs.

The hill (Rocky Kundru) Kilavi kulam, a part of Poosaripatti with a natural cave, which contains rock art, is almost on the plains. This single rocky hill was partly blasted for a granite quarry. The Rock arts are found in the natural cave ceiling and the side wall. The rock art is in white and red ochre. The blasting for the granite quarry was stopped by Heritage enthusiasts like Smt. Devi Arivu Selvam and locals.

The display board was also erected by the locals. The display board contains the details of this rock art. These red and white ochre rock arts are more than 3000 years old, possibly in the Neolithic period.

In white ochre rock art, only four drawings are in an identifiable condition. The rock art contains a man riding on an elephant, Human beings, elephants, cows, hunting, etc. A man with an animal depicts the domestication of animals.

 

The red ochre rock art contains human beings and their celebrations, dances, and some animals.

LOCATION OF THE CAVE: CLICK HERE

cup marks (The similar cup marks made on the rock surface at Bhimbetka have been dated to 100000 BP)

Cup marks (The similar cup marks made on the rock surface at Bhimbetka have been dated to 100000 BP)

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Rock Art / Rock Paintings, Pandavula Guttalu / పాండవుల గుహలు, Telangana.

This prehistoric period's Rock art is found in the Pandavula Gutta, Jayashankar Bhupalpally district in Telangana State. These are the prehistoric habitation sites, vantage points, or Shelters. This site was first discovered in the year 1990. Another major attraction here is rock climbing.

LOWER LEVEL

These prehistoric cave paintings are mainly drawn in red ochre on walls and ceilings of caves, rock shelters, and isolated boulders. The rock art paintings depict wildlife like Bison, antelopes, tigers, leopards, etc. Other geometric patterns like circles, squares, shapes like swastika, and weapons such as bows, arrows, swords, lancers, etc., are present in these paintings. Pandavula Gutta is rich in terms of many paintings, rock shelters, and its habitation, right from the Mesolithic to medieval times.

MIDDLE LEVEL

TOP LEVEL

LOCATION OF THE ROCK ART SITE: CLICK HERE

A Natural Arch 

A Natural Arch 

A Natural Arch 

With Enthisai Varalatru Marabunadai Kuzhu - எண்திசை வரலாற்று மரபுநடைக்குழு 

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