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Vallimalai Jain Beds
Vallimalai Jain caves
Religion
Affiliation	Jainism
Deity	Tirthankara
Festival	Mahavir Janma Kalyanak
Location
Location	Vallimalai, Vellore, Tamil Nadu
Geographic coordinates	13°04′24.6″N 79°15′50.9″E / 13.073500°N 79.264139°E / 13.073500; 79.264139
Architecture
Style	Dravidian architecture
Creator	Rachamalla II
Date established	2nd century BCE
Completed	870 CE
Materials	Rock cut

Vallimalai Jain caves are located in Vallimalai village in Katpadi taluk of Vellore district, Tamil Nadu.

History

Vallimalai Jain caves contains natural caverns that were inhabited by Digambar monks in early historic period. The monks from Bihar used to come here during the late-maurya period. The smooth and polished beds were carved during the rule of Satavahana dynasty. A total of five inscription are found with one of the inscriptions dating back to 8th century. The Jain carvings were created during the reign of Ganga King Rachamalla II in c. 870 CE after conquest of this region from Chola kings. An inscription, below the sculptures, states the name of Devasena of Bana kingdom along with his Jain monks Bhavanandin and Aryanandin.

Vallaimalai was an important Jain center during 8th-9th century.

Architecture

Vallimalai is an important Jain site with several carvings of sculptures of tirthankara. The caverns is 40 by 20 feet (12.2 m × 6.1 m) with height varying between 7–10 feet (2.1–3.0 m). There is also a temple in the region which was converted to a Hindu temple. The caves consist of three chambers, two of these chambers contain images of Jain tirthankar. Above this group, there are the remains of a wall, believed to have been a small fort occupied by Jains. A torana is found above Jain images similar to carvings of Badami cave temples.

The Jain sculpture are engraved on two spots, one on the northern side of Murugan temple and second on the southern side, with one sculpture with superhuman dimensions. There is an image of Ambika in sukhasana position wearing a necklace, armbands, and crown. Ambika is depicted sitting on a lion with carvings of her two sons below her pedestal. There is also image of Padmavati with 4 hands, holding goad and noose in upper right and left hands.

Conservation

These caves are protected by Archaeological Survey of India. In 2014, "Ahima Walks" was organized in the region to promote the place.

See also

• Kalugumalai Jain Beds
• Kupalantham Poigai malai Jain Cave Temple
• Seeyamangalam

References

Citations

1. Ramaswamy 2017, p. 384.
2. The Hindu 2018.
3. Ramaswamy 2017, p. 52.
4. Umamaheshwari 2018, p. 38.
5. Subramanian 2002, p. 36.
6. ^ Aravamuthan 1992, p. 30.
7. ^ Chennai museum, p. 59.
8. ^ Murthi 2014.
9. Aravamuthan 1992, pp. 30–31.
10. Chennai museum, p. 138.
11. ^ Sewell 1882, p. 156.
12. Owen 2012, p. 60.
13. Subramanian 2012.
14. Chennai museum, p. 105.
15. ASI.

Bibliography

Books

• Aravamuthan, T. G. (1992) . Portrait Sculpture in South India. Asian Educational Services. ISBN 9788120608009.
• Ramaswamy, Vijaya (2017). Historical Dictionary of the Tamils. Historical Dictionaries of Peoples and Cultures (2 ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781538106860.
• Sewell, Robert (1882). Lists of the Antiquarian Remains in the Presidency of Madras. Historical Dictionaries of Peoples and Cultures. Vol. 2. E. Keys, at the Government Press.
• Subramanian, K. R. (2002) . Origin of Saivism and Its History in the Tamil Land. Asian Educational Services. ISBN 9788120601444.
• Umamaheshwari, R. (2018). Reading History with the Tamil Jainas: A Study on Identity, Memory and Marginalisation. Sophia Studies in Cross-cultural Philosophy of Traditions and Cultures. Vol. 2. Springer. ISBN 9788132237563.
• Owen, Lisa (2012). Carving Devotion in the Jain Caves at Ellora. Brill's Indological Library. Vol. 41. Brill Publishers. ISBN 9789004206298.

Web

• Murthi, V Narayana (5 August 2014). "'Ahimsa Walks' to Save Jain Monuments at Vallimalai". The New Indian Express.
• Subramanian, T. S. (15 June 2012). "Icons of grace". The Hindu.
• "On a walk to explore lesser known heritage spots". The Hindu. 20 November 2018.
• ASI. "Vellore sub-circle". Archaeological Survey of India.
• Chennai museum. "ICONOGRAPHY OF THE JAIN IMAGES IN THE GOVERNMENT MUSEUM". Government Museum, Chennai. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2020.

External links

• Media related to Vallimalai Jain caves at Wikimedia Commons

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