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

 13^th November 2016.

After attending Sakthi’s House warming 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 in different perspective. It was a news to me that the hill have  the Jain beds and Chozha and Pandya period inscriptions through Mr Srinivasan.  Learnt 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 visited to this temple had sung hymns & songs. But it is very hard to believe that the hill was under the control of Jain monks once may be during 6^th and 7^th century. But it is a fact that the Jain monks lived on the hill caves and left their evidences in the form of beds and the 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 on the rock and other one very difficult to access.

The Caves has the symbols and inscriptions also. The inscriptions are in not readable condition  and damaged condition. No Brahmi inscriptions are found.

LOCATION : CLICK HERE

 View of the  hill from the base 

 How many years the top stone ball is 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---

Sri Chandraprabha Tirthankara Temple and Sri Nageswara Swamy Shiva Temple, Vijayamangalam, Erode District, Tamil Nadu

 12^th November 2016.

After our visit to Kumarikal Palayam, our original plan was to visit 4 temples in Vijayamangalam. But due to short of time we skipped both Sri Karivaradharaja Perumal Temple and Sri Vijayapuri Amman Temple. Along with us ( M/s Srinivasan, Raja and Gowthami ) Mr Nandhakumar, a history enthusiast  from Erode also joined for this Vijayamangalam temples. For further and detailed descriptions please visit my post of this same blog  CLICK HERE

SRI CHANDRA PRABHA TIRTHANKARA TEMPLE, VIJAYAMANGALAM

Compared to my previous visit the Archaeological Survey of India ( ASI ) had erected fence around the temple. Except this there is no much change and the stolen main deity was not recovered so far.

 Adhinathar 

The main sanctum without deity Sri Chandra Bhagwan Digambar

 Sri Dharma Devi 

 Looks like Garuda 

SRI NAGESWARA SWAMY SHIVA TEMPLE

Compared to my previous visit, Kumbhabhishekam was performed to main temple and Amman temple after renovation. The damaged wall between Main sanctum and Amman temple was reconstructed. But still Saptamatrika bas-reliefs are not installed. The ground level was raised around Amman temple and concreted. Some of the inscriptions at the base of Amman temple are submerged in the concrete and will visible no more. The Rajagopuram construction is still in progress.

During our visit devotees thronged in large numbers at Shiva temple for Sani pradosham.

 The Nagars relief on the back of sanctum

 The Saptamatrikas

 The Saptamatrikas

 This relief was taken from Sri Karivaradharaja Perumal Temple

After our day long visit to the temples and historical places, we exhausted completely and we had taken rest for our next day trekking to Tiruchengode hills to explore the inscriptions and Jains presence on the hill.

……………. To be Continued ( Tiruchengode )

---OM SHIVAYA NAMA---