VELUDHARAN TEMPLES VISIT : Rock Cut Caves & Natural Caves

Showing posts with label Rock Cut Caves & Natural Caves. Show all posts

Monday, 5 October 2026

Mahibalanpatti Rock Cut Cave Temple, Mahibalanpatti, Sivaganga District, Tamil Nadu.

The visit to this Rock Cut Cave temple at Mahibalanpatti was part of the “Sivaganga and Pudukkottai Temples and Heritage Sites Visit” on 2^nd and 3^rd September 2026. It is believed that this place was named after Pandiya’s regional King Mahibalan, who ruled this area, Mahibalampatti, and the same continues to this day.

This 9th-century early Pandya period rock-cut cave is a little away from the village Mahibalampatti, on the ground-level boulders. Two caves (only sanctum sanctorums) are hewn, of which one is dedicated to Shiva and another one to Vinayagar. The Shiva Lingam was hewn from the mother rock, with a square avudaiyar. Two pilasters on both sides are also hewn from the mother rock.

மேற்கு நோக்கி உள்ள தரை மட்டத்தில் உள்ள பாறையில் இரு கருவறைகள் குடையப்பட்டு உள்ளன. இரு கருவறைகளுல், முதல் குடைவரையில் தாய்பாறையில் குடையப்பட்ட சதுரவடிவ ஆவுடையாரோடு கூடிய சிவலிங்கம் உள்ளது. சிவலிங்கம் உள்ள குடைவரையின் வலதுபுறம் ஒரு கோட்டமும் அதில் கிழக்கு சுவரில் ஒரு பிள்ளையார் புடைப்புச் சிற்பமாக செதுக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

On the face of the Vinayagar rock-cut cave, the latter-period Pandya king Sundara Pandyan’s 10^th regnal year inscription is inscribed. The inscription records the donations made to this temple. This inscription mentions this place as Poongundra Nattu Poongundram.

The Pandya king Jatāvarman alias Tribhuvana Chakravarthi Sundara Pandyadeva, 'who was pleased to take all countries' (Sundara Pandya I), r.y. 10, Vrischika, ba. 3 Monday, Pusam 22 November, 1260 CE inscription, records a remission by the nattar-var of Pungunra-nadu of some taxes on Karuppukkōnēri which had been purchased by Pulavan Mangaladēvan Valattuvalivichchan alias Pūngunra-nāttu Brahmadirayan and others, for offerings and worship to the god Tiruppugūnram udaiya-Nayanar at Pungunram in Pungunranādu, a devadana of god Kulaśēkhara-Isvaram-udaiya-Nayanar.

Reference

1. ARE, 1935-36, no. 162

2. Topographic List of the Inscriptions of the Madras Presidency, Volume 6.

The historians believe that this place might have been called Poongundram, and the Sangam-period poet Kaniyan Poongundran, who had written the famous phrase “Yathum Oore Yavarum Kelir” (all the places are our place and all the people are our relatives), may belong to this place.

வினாயகர் குடைவரையின் முகப்புச் சுவரில், சுந்தர பாண்டியனின் பத்தாம் ஆட்சிஆண்டு பொயு 9 ஆம் நூற்றாண்டு கல்வெட்டு, இக்கோவிலுக்குக் கொடை அளித்ததைப் பதிவு செய்கின்றது. இக்கல்வெட்டில் பூங்குன்ற நாட்டைச் சேர்ந்த பூங்குன்றம் என்னும் ஊரில் உள்ள கோயில் எனக் குறிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. இதனால் பழங் காலத்தில் இப்பகுதி பூங்குன்றம் எனப் பெயர் பெற்றிருக்கலாம் என ஆய்வாகளால் கருதப்படுகின்றது. சங்ககாலப் புலவரான கணியன் பூங்குன்றனார் இவ்வூரவராக இருக்கலாம் என்ற கருத்தும் உண்டு.

Reference

1. Jeyaraj, V., Directory of Monuments in Tamil Nadu, Director of Museum, Government of Tamil Nadu, Chennai, 2005, p.173

2. இராசவேல், சு., சேஷாத்திரி, அ. கி., தமிழ்நாட்டுக் குடைவரைக் கோயில்கள், பண்பாட்டு வெளியீட்டகம், சென்னை, 2000, பக். 165.

THE PRESENT STATUS

In addition to the rock-cut cave, two loose sculptures (Chamundi, Kaumari..?) are kept under a tree, in front of the rock-cut cave, and may belong to a Saptamatrikas group.

POOJAS AND CELEBRATIONS

The temple is under worship, and poojas are conducted occasionally.

CONTACT DETAILS

The Poojari’s mobile number +918110990676 may be contacted for poojas.

HOW TO REACH

The Rock Cut Cave is about 1.3 km from Mahibalampatti, 6 km from Kandavarayanpatti, 19.4 km from Pillayarpatti, 35 km from Karaikudi, and 50 km from Sivaganga.

The nearest railway station is Karaikudi.

LOCATION OF THE ROCK-CUT CAVE: CLICK HERE

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---

Friday, 8 May 2026

Pataleshwar Cave Temple, Jangali Maharaj Rd, Revenue Colony, Pune, Maharashtra.

The visit to Pataleshwar Cave Temple, in Pune, Maharashtra State, was part of the “Rock Cut Cave Temples of Maharashtra Visit”, from 28th February to 3rd March 2026.

This Pataleshwar Cave Temple is on the Jangali Maharaj Road, Revenue Colony, Pune. This is one of the oldest surviving cave temples located in the heart of Pune city. The rock-cut cave temple complex is below ground level; hence Shiva is called Pataleshwar. This cave temple is a living temple, where poojas are conducted to Sri Pateshwara.

HISTORY AND INSCRIPTIONS

The Pataleshwar Rock Cut Cave Temple belongs to the 8th century, hewn during the Rashtrakuta dynasty (753-982 CE).

ARCHITECTURE

The temple complex was hewn out of a single basalt rock; this ancient, protected monument features a central sanctum, intricate columns, and a Rishaba mandapa. The entire complex was hewn from top to bottom, similar to the Sri Kailasanathar Temple of Ellora Caves.

The Rishaba mandapa was hewn out from top to bottom, in a circular shape. The mandapa ceiling is supported by 16 square pillars, of which 12 are along the circumference, and the 4 middle pillars form a square mandapa where a Rishabam is installed. The pillars are very simple, without any ornamental sculptures or bas-reliefs.

Basically, the sanctum sanctorum was hewed for Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu. Presently, the only Shiva Linga is installed at the central shrine, Ganesh is installed in the first cave, and Parvati is installed in the third cave. In the mandapam, Sri Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita marble idols have been installed on a platform in recent years.

The sanctum sanctorum's backside wall surfaces are not finished. Adhistanam carving was done in bits and pieces. All the pillars are square in shape with plain capitals. Only one pillar’s capital is finished. On the mandapa wall, we could witness that the surface was prepared and bas relief works in various stages of completion, lending an intriguing aspect to its overall appearance. Notably, the temple appears to be in an unfinished state. The reasons for the unfinished state may be that the challenging nature of the hard basalt stone hindered the carving process, or that natural fault lines made the structure unsafe; this remains a mystery. The reasons for its incomplete status may never be fully known, but the cave continues to serve as an active place of worship, drawing both devotees and tourists alike.

LOCATION OF THE CAVE TEMPLE: CLICK HERE

Unfinished cave

The plinth vase details are only in a few places

The one and only finished capital

--- OM SHIVAYA NAMA ---

Thursday, 7 May 2026

Bhaja Buddhist Caves / Ancient Buddhist Heritage Site, Lonavala, महाराष्ट्र / Maharashtra State, India.

The visit to Bhaja Rock Cut Caves, near Lonavala, in Maharashtra State, was part of the “Rock Cut Cave Temples of Maharashtra Visit”, from 28th February to 3rd March 2026.

The Buddhist Excavations at Bhaja are a small series of very early Hinayana (Theravada) Caves datable to the 2nd Century B.C. to the 1st Century CE, and consist of 29 excavations. Perhaps one of the oldest Buddhist religious centers in the Deccan, it is hence significant to the development of cave architecture. The Principal Excavation at Bhaja is the Chaitya, which resembles its timber precedent in design with a ribbed timber fitted ceiling, plain octagonal shafts with a slight inward rake, and many timber attachments or mortises left in the rock to house timber members in the front and within. The exterior of this prayer hall seems to have been fitted with a huge timber attachment that has since worn away to be replaced by a gaping hole. Such a timber overlay is still evident inside the cave, which has timber ribs spanning the entire width of the roof. The Stupa is a plain conception in two simple parts consisting of a cylindrical base supporting a tall domical body with a railing finial. There are 12 inscriptions in different caves. The other interesting feature of this group of caves is the cluster of Stupas.