48-669: Kalugumalai Jain beds in Kalugumalai , a panchayat town in Thoothukudi district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu , are dedicated to the Jain religious figures. Constructed in rock cut architecture, the unfinished temple is believed to have been built during the reign of Pandyan king Parantaka Nedunjadaiya (768-800 CE). The rock-cut architecture at Kalugumalai is an exemplary specimen of Pandyan art . The other portions of Kalugumalai houses
96-513: A population of 14,834. Males constitute 49% of the population and females 51%. Kalugumalai has an average literacy rate of 70%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 78%, and female literacy is 63%. In Kalugumalai, 9% of the population is under 6 years of age. There are three Temples in Kalugumalai and a Church. The Kalugumalai Jain Beds are many rock relief sculptures dating to
144-506: A rectangular fashion and in the middle the temple is sculpted from a single piece of rock. The carvings reflect the southern temple style of the Pandya era. Only the top portion of the temple is completed. The temple has an entrance and centre hall for the main deity. In the later days Ganesha's idol is kept and worshipped. At the top of the temple beautiful sculpture of Uma Maheswarar, Dakshinamoorthy , Vishnu and Brahma can be found. This temple
192-574: A short period, this area was under the Kings when Rajendra Chola I brought it under his territory in 1063 CE. In 1520, the Nayaks of Vijayangar took over the area under their control from the Pandiyan dynasty for about two centuries, maravar chieftains Sethupathis who were Lords under Pandiyan Kings and reigned over this part (17th century). At the beginning of the 18th century, family disputes over succession resulted in
240-431: Is Murugan. The main deity hall and entrance hall is excavated inside the foothills of Kalugumalai in the south western corner of the hill and with external structural additions. The temple has many aesthetic sculptures. The temple dates to the 18th century. The main deity is Lord Murugan with his wife Deivanai. The temple complex also has shrines of Shiva, Akilandeswari , Vinayakar and many lesser deities. Ayyanar temple
288-538: Is a panchayat town in Kovilpatti Taluk of Thoothukudi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu . Kalugumalai is 21 km and 22 km from Kovilpatti and Sankarankovil respectively. The place houses the rockcut Kalugasalamoorthy Temple , monolithic Vettuvan Koil and Kalugumalai Jain Beds . Kalugumalai is located at 9.152962, 77.704386. It has an average elevation of 105 metres (344 feet). It
336-730: Is a variety of dry red chilli mainly grown in this district. It is primarily grown in the Ramanathapuram district's Tiruvadanai , Mudukulathur , Kadaladi , RS Mangalam and Kamuthi taluks. It was awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) status tag from the Geographical Indications Registry under the Union Government of India on 22 February 2022 (valid until 15 November 2030). Ramnad Mundu Chilli Producer Company Limited from Mudhukulathur, proposed
384-428: Is an important Jain site in part because it stands out as an exception where Digambara tradition women rose to prominence over its early history. The Digambara tradition teaches rejection of all possessiveness including clothes, which leads to its mendicants living, socially interacting and traveling in complete nudity. Historic evidence of major groups of Digambara Jain women mendicants is rare, except in Kalugumalai where
432-578: Is bounded on the north by Sivaganga District , on the northeast by Pudukkottai District , on the east by the Palk Strait , on the south by the Gulf of Mannar , on the west by Thoothukudi District , and on the northwest by Virudhunagar District . The district contains the Pamban Bridge , an east–west chain of low islands and shallow reefs that extend between India and the island nation of Sri Lanka , and separate
480-420: Is located adjacent to it. Kalugumalai, along with surrounding villages, specializes in the manufacturing of safety matches . There are hundreds of small scale industries involved in this trade, supported by the dry climatic condition and skilled labor available. Grocery business is another one doing in large scale. Ramanathapuram district Ramanathapuram District , also known as Ramnad District ,
528-765: Is located on the Kalugumalai hill adjacent to the historical Jain carvings at the hill. The holy tree of this Ayyanar temple is a Banyan Tree. The Sanctorum of the temple is within a natural cavern. There are three bas-reliefs of Tirthankaras near the Ayyanar image. Ayyanar Kovil at Kalugumalai is located at 9°9′7.2″N 77°42′13.7″E / 9.152000°N 77.703806°E / 9.152000; 77.703806 ( 9°09′07″N 77°42′14″E / 9.151995°N 77.703815°E / 9.151995; 77.703815 ). Telugu speaking community with Maratla gothram and Dhulipati house name worship in this temple, as this their Kuladeiva koil (temple). Special poojas are performed on
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#1733202198731576-603: Is of same style of Kailasnath temple in Ellora , structural shrines at Pattadakal in Bijapur , monolithic temples of Pallavas at Mamallapuram showing the close political relationship between Pallavas, Chalukyas and Rashtrakutas . There are around 122 sculptures in the rock cut temple. The intricately carved statues are from fine granite. Here, another temple is the Sri Ananthamma Kovil. Kalugasalamoorthy Temple 's main deity
624-507: Is one of the 38 districts an administrative districts of Tamil Nadu state in southern India . The old Ramanathapuram District consists of Present day Virudhunagar and Sivagangai districts, it touches the Western ghats and bordered with the state of Kerala and east by Bay of Bengal . It was the largest district on that time. The town of Ramanathapuram is the district headquarters. Ramanthapuram District has an area of 4,123 km . It
672-465: Is overlain by thin alluvium and exposed towards the north of the Vaigai River. Detached exposures of laterite and lateritic soil are seen in the northwestern part of the district. A major part of the district is covered with the fluvial, fluvio-marine, Aeolian and marine sediments of Quaternary age. The fluvial deposits which are made up of sand, silt and clay in varying degree of admixture occur along
720-411: Is strategically located in between Kovilpatti (20 km from Kalugumalai) and Sankarankoil (19 km from Kalugumalai) and served as ancient trade route from Kovilpatti to Courtallam and Sengottai . Kalugumalai is Tamil for "hill of the vulture". It was previously known as Araimalai or Tirumalai , as well as Nechchuram and Tiruneccuram. Some of the epigraphies in the site mention a palace for
768-461: The 8th century based on palaeographic and literary evidence, during the reign of Pandya king Parantaka Nedunjadaiya (768-800 CE). According to Paul Dundas – a scholar on Jainism studies and Sanskrit, the Kalugumalai is one of the oldest Jain sites in South India. He dates the earliest excavations and inscriptions to about 8th-century CE. All reliefs and inscriptions at Kalugumalai were complete by
816-557: The 8th century unfinished Shiva temple, Vettuvan Koil and Kalugasalamoorthy Temple , a Murugan temple at the foothills. There are approximately 150 niches in the bed, that includes images of Gomateshwara , Parshvanatha and other Tirthankaras of the Jainism . The Jain beds are maintained and administered by Department of Archaeology of the Government of Tamil Nadu as a protected monument. The earliest Kalugumalai Jain Beds are dated to
864-413: The 8th-9th century CE in the area, including the rock cut image of the tirthankara Parshvanatha flanked by two yakshas , as well as many other rock cut images of other tirthankaras. The area is known for the Jain cave temple and architecture. There are a number of Jain images with labels in the vatteluttu script. The epigraphs mentions the name of the donors of the figures, of the provisions made for
912-552: The British in collaboration with Kattabomman of Panchalamkurichi. Colonel Agnew captured Marudhu Brothers and hanged them and made Gowri Vallbah Periya Udaya Thevar as Zamindar of Sivaganga. After the fall of Tippu Sultan, British took the control and imprisoned the Nawab. In 1892, the Zamindari system was abolished and a British Collector was appointed for administration. In 1910, Ramanathapuram
960-717: The Palk Strait from the Gulf of Mannar. The Palk Strait is navigable only by shallow-draft vessels. As of 2011, Ramanathapuram district had a population of 1,353,445 with a sex-ratio of 983 females for every 1,000 males. The district is home to the pilgrimage centre of Rameswaram and tourist spot Dhanushkodi , an abandoned town . In the early 15th century, the present territories of Ramanathapuram district, comprising taluks Tiruvadanai, RajaSingaMangalam, Paramakudi, Ramanathapuram and Rameswaram, Kamuthi, Mudukulathur in Pandyan Dynasty. For
1008-506: The Pandya kings. Vettuvan Koil (English: a Sculptor's paradise ) is a Hindu temple built between the 8th and 9th century. Kalugumalai is a priceless unfinished Pandyan monolith cave temple, part of the iconographic richness that helped chronicle the burgeoning richness of the Tamil culture, traditions, and sacred centres containing religious art. About 7.5 meter of the mountain is excavated in
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#17332021987311056-446: The Pandya official called Ettimannan. At the foot of the Kalugumalai, a large urn-burial cemetery was found. However, hundreds of urns were destroyed during limestone quarrying. Opposite to Kalugasalamoorthy Temple is a small palace that served as local residence of Raja of Ettaiyapuram . The place was the scene of Kalugumalai riots of 1895 , when ten people were killed in caste clashes. As of 2001 India census , Kalugumalai had
1104-610: The active channels of Vaigai, Gundar, Manimuthar and Pambar rivers. They have been categorised into levee, flood basin, channel bar/ point bar and paleo-channel deposits. The paleo-channel deposits comprise brown-coloured, fine to medium sands with well preserved cross-beddings. The fluvio-marine deposits are exposed in the Vaigai delta as deltaic plain, paleo-tidal and dune flat deposits. The deltaic plain and dune flats comprise medium, grey brown sands. The paleo tidal flat deposits include black silty clay, black clay and mud. In Rameswaram Island,
1152-701: The age of six, constituting 71,705 males and 68,939 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 18.40% and 0.08% of the population, respectively. The average literacy of the district was 72.33%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. The district had a total of 323,905 households. There were a total of 602,977 workers, comprising 149,959 cultivators, 103,592 main agricultural labourers, 18,546 in house hold industries, 214,053 other workers, 116,827 marginal workers, 23,808 marginal cultivators, 50,282 marginal agricultural labourers, 6,682 marginal workers in household industries and 36,055 other marginal workers. Languages of Ramanathapuram district (2011) At
1200-541: The area came under the control of the Marattas and then under the Nizam in 1744, Nawab's rule made displeasure in the mind of those chieftains. That made them declare the last Nayak as ruler of Pandiya Mandalam against the Nawab in 1752. By that time, throne of Carnatic had two rivals, Chanda Sahib and Mohamed Ali, and this district was part of Carnatic. The British and French supported Chanda Sahib and Mohamed Ali respectively. It paved
1248-530: The crevices, these sponges are found with many animals, ranging from tiny crabs and brittle star to bivalve molluscs. 275 species under 8 orders are found in Gulf of Mannar. With a 34 percentage share, Paramakudi is the top chili pepper producer in Tamil Nadu. In 2018, Government of India classifies Ramanathapuram as one of the 112 most underdeveloped district across the country and brought it under Aspirational Districts Phase 1. The Ramnathapuram Mundu chilli
1296-545: The division of Ramanathapuram. With the help of the King of Thanjavur in 1730, one of the chieftains deposed Sethupathy and became the Raja of Sivaganga. Acting upon the weakness of the Nayak rules, the local chieftains (Palayakarars) became independent. Raja of Sivagangai and Sethupathy of Ramanathapuram were prominent among them. In 1730, Chanda Sahib of Carnatic, captured Ramanathapuram. In 1741,
1344-448: The eve of Maha Shiva Raathiri every year. This temple Devotees have to climb several stone steps in the hill to reach this temple. The other prominent landmarks near this temple are Ambal Oorani, Kalugasalamoorthy temple and Vettuvan temple. People worship Ayyanar by offering sacrifices to him. As the Jain monuments located adjacent to this temple have been declared as a protected monument due to which certain restrictions have been put in
1392-471: The first marine biosphere reserve declared in India, this area has long been a national priority. The Gulf of Mannar and its 3,600 species of flora and fauna is one of the biologically richest coastal regions in all of the mainland of India. It is equally rich in sea-algae, sea grasses, coral reef pearl banks, fin and shellfish resources, mangroves, and endemic and endangered species. It is an important habitat for
1440-445: The fluvio-marine deposits include indurated sand and dune sands. The Aeolian deposits comprise red sands which are in nature of ancient dunes and occur over a 3.2 km wide and 8 km long stretch and lie parallel to the sea coast. These are separated by marshy deposits of black clays. The sands are underlain by calcareous hardpan. In Rameswaram Island also brown sand deposits occur around Sambaimadam on either side of NH 49 west of
1488-518: The guardian deity for Jain temples. During modern times, some Digambara monks attempted replacing the idol of Murugan in the lower cave temple with that of Mahavira , leading to religious disturbances. There are 98 inscriptions related to Jainism at the Kalugumalai Jain Beds site, the largest known concentration of Jain inscriptions in far south India at a single site. These are found below the reliefs of Tirthankaras and yakshis, as well as near
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1536-479: The highly endangered sea mammal, the dugong commonly called the sea cow. There are 137 species of coral found in Gulf of Mannar. The coral come in myriads of shapes. Some have finger like branches and others dome-shaped colony with a net work of ridges and furrows. Sponges, although at casual glance look like plants, are animals, living singly or in colonies of many individuals. Their colours vary as much as shape, being green, red, yellow, and even black or white. In
1584-456: The hillock was once related to Buddhism, was abandoned and later Jains and Hindus reused the site for their own monasteries and temples. Around the Jain beds hillock are several old Hindu temples from the early Pandya era who also sponsored the Jain beds. These include one for Shiva, one for Murugan, and another for Aiyanar. In the local tradition, states Dundas, the Hindu god Aiyanar is believed to be
1632-425: The hollowed out beds. Most are records of donors and gifts. Some contain information and names of mendicants, both men and women. Of the 98, 21 inscriptions (20%) in Kalugumalai mention women mendicants. This is in contrast to 8th to 13th-century Jain inscriptions found elsewhere in Tamil Nadu, where the mention of women is relatively rare to a few (0 to 4%). According to John Cort – a Jain studies scholar, Kalugumalai
1680-423: The inscriptions on these Jain beds imply that Jains promoted education in what is now Kanyakumari district between 7th and 9th-century CE. The inscriptions also attest to a Jaina university for women at Thirusaaranath hillock, states Chandrababu. The Jain beds site is in Kalugumalai , a rocky hill in Thoothukudi district in southern Tamil Nadu . The sculptures and the carvings are indicative of Pandyan art during
1728-492: The late 1st-millennium, while Jainism thrived in this region till about the 14th-century. Like other South Indian Jain historic sites, this was also a Digambara tradition site. However, states Dundas, the word Kalugumalai means "Vulture peak" reminiscent of the legendary site in north India attributed to the Buddha for his sermons. The local traditions connect the history of this stone hillock with early but extinct Buddhism. Perhaps,
1776-480: The local culture allowed female monastic traditions to flourish for few centuries after around the 9th, before it disappeared. The inscriptions in Kalugumalai in combination with inscriptions found elsewhere in Tamil Nadu suggest that for these few centuries, the Tamil culture accepted and supported the female Digambara mendicants well beyond the Kalugumalai area. The female mendicants were not localized, and they traveled and preached far from Kalugumalai. This phenomenon
1824-578: The nearby areas. One can see a sign installed by the Archaeological survey of India stating that sacrifices should not be made here. Our Lady of Lourdes Church is the biggest Roman Catholic Church in the vicinity. This church is more than 100 years old and is adorned with two tall steeples in the front entrance. This church has over 3000 members who gather there every week for prayers and are also actively involved in community activities. A primary school named as St. Mary's Primary School managed by this church
1872-458: The offerings, etc. The main deity of the hill was called Araimalai Alvar . The other figures were caused to be made by the followers of Jain faith from a number of villages nearby. The sculptures were caused to be made in memory of the departed souls. There are approximately one hundred and fifty relief sculptures. Among the donors were the carpenters, potters, smiths, cultivators and other workers. A number of others were high ranking persons bearing
1920-401: The period. The granite rock looks like a blooming lotus, with hills surrounding it on three sides. There are approximately 150 niches in the bed, that includes images of Gomateshwara , Parshvanatha and other Tirthankaras of the Jainism . Kalugumalai Jain beds is maintained and administered by Department of Archaeology of the Government of Tamil Nadu as a protected monument. Kalugumalai
1968-502: The time of the 2011 census, 97.67% of the population spoke Tamil and 1.53% Saurashtra as their first language. It is a part of Ramanathapuram Lok Sabha constituency . Marine Biosphere Reserve not only in India but also in south and southeast Asia. The IUCN Commission on National Parks and WWF, identified the Reserve as being an area of "Particulars concern" given its diversity and special multiple-use management status. In addition, as
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2016-487: The titles of Enadi, Etti, and Kavidi. Provisions are also recorded for expounding Jain Siddhanta. An ascetic named Gunasagara Bhattar is recorded to hsvdylived here. The sculptures and the epigraphs are to be assigned to the reign of Pandya, Parantaka Nedunjadaiya (CE 768–800). From different epigraphies it is found that they belong to different era and the place became extinct after the 13th century due to loss of patronage after
2064-440: The town. The marine formation comprises coastal plain deposits of sand and clay in varied proportions. Marine calcareous hardpan occurs as low terraces and platforms, with admixture of quartz, limonite and garnet concentration. According to 2011 census , Ramanathapuram district had a population of 1,353,445 with a sex-ratio of 983 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. A total of 140,644 were under
2112-662: The unconsolidated sediments of the Quaternary age except in the northwestern part, where isolated patches of Archaean crystallines and Tertiary sandstone are exposed. The Archaeans are mainly represented by the Charnockite group of rocks comprising garnetiferous granulite and the Khondalite group of rocks made up of quartzite and gneisses. The Tertiary sandstone (Cuddalore Formation) comprises pinkish, yellowish, reddish (variegated colours) medium to coarse grained sandstone and clay stone. It
2160-592: The way for series of conflicts in the southern part of the continent. In 1795, the British deposed Muthuramalinga Sethupathy and took control of the administration of Ramanathapuram. In 1801 Mangaleswari Nachiyar was made the Zamindar of Sivagangai. After the passing of Queen, the Marudhu Brothers took the charge by paying regular revenue to the East India company. In 1803 the Marudhu Brothers of Sivaganga revolted against
2208-547: Was chosen in the plan to be included as a rural tourism site in Incredible India campaign by the Tourism Ministry of the Government of India . As a part of the campaign the ministry allocated ₹ 10 million to develop the infrastructure around the region in 2008. The tourist inflow to the town increased to 3,000 persons per month during 2009 from 400 per month during the previous years. Kalugumalai Kalugumalai
2256-408: Was formed by clubbing portions from Madurai and Tirunelveli district. Shri J.F. Bryant I.C.S was the first collector. And this district was named as Ramanathapuram. During the British period this district was called "Ramnad." The name continued after independence. Later the district was renamed as Ramanathapuram to be in conformity with the Tamil name for this region. Most of the area is covered by
2304-1089: Was not unique to Jainism, states Cort, but in parallel to Hindu women mendicants who are also named in numerous religious inscriptions found in South India in a manner similar to the Kalugumalai Jain beds. However, adds Cort, the evidence suggests that female mendicants in the Hindu tradition were more regional while the female Jain mendicants traveled to more distant territories. The Kalugumalai Jain beds mention twenty one religious places where Digamabara women mendicants travelled, out of which eleven have been tentatively identified - one being Kalugumalai itself, five in Ramanathapuram district , one in Tirupanthuruthi in Kanchipuram district , four in Tirucaranam (now Chitaral) in Kanyakumari district . According to B.S. Chandrababu,
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