Other Interesting Sites, Sittannavasal
Along the western base of the hill, and beneath the
central and southern parts of it, lies a stone and brick temple of Siva in
ruins, and shrines to Ayyanar, Pidari, and other village deities. From this one
may infer that there must have been a village close to the hill on the site now
covered by the dry fields.
There is a Trigonometrical Survey station on the central
rock, at a height of 700 feet.
The Pandyan’s Inscription
The 17 line inscription of Ilan Gautaman, who is hailed
as the acharya from Madurai, is in Tamil verse and is found on the southern
flank of the cave temple.
This 9th century inscription is inscribed during the
reign of the Pandya King Srimaran srivallabhan also called Avanipasekhara (815-862
AD).
It reads as follows:
1. “Svasti Sri Tiruntiya
perumpugal devadarisanat taruntava munivanaip porutselvan ara”
2. “(niki) la(r) nilaimai
Ilan Gautamanenum valankelu Tirunagar Madirai Asiriyan A(vanai)pa”
3. “r muludanda Pancavar Kula
mudalar Keluvaivel Avanipasekaran Sirkelu sengor Siri Val”
4.
“luvanuk kenrippalavun
Kurikolinitavaion . . . tandavaniyattanpai Mudur”
5. “Kadivalam perukkip
Pannavar koil pangura cceyvit taranap perummik kolukkavi”
6. “Rkum puranamalai
poliyavongi anda (mi) i….. vilakkir kamanan kaniyun ca”
7. “tti vayakkalun gunamigu
Sirappin Kurittu …(melu)kku puramoru munrumavum valukkarava”
8. “gaiyal valipaduvonuk
karaikkaniyum amaiya nokki Annal vayil Arivar koin”
9.
“munnal Mandagan kallal
niyarrik kandor marulun Kamaru viluccirul”
10.“loru puramba lolimiga
p(pok)ki marru mellan kurra niki Adivendar”
11.“aranceyalakki nirii
(niruvi) . . . masar a niriit Tiruverran ceypavai ne”
12.“dutu n(nu)ruma. . .
viragamaittunidoli vilakki nnaippuramagena”
13.“idai vayalode(t). . . .
kuriya vagaiya nadi nangamaittu valipaduvo”
14.“rku nilamu(m) maraikkalol
iyavagaiyar kandanane. . . . (tik)kol”
15.“Kaippala gunattoney-
Tinnilai verpa. . . irrenkanka . . .”
16.“npa… mi . . . manila –
Sir Madirai Asiriyan Annal agamandaga”
17.“m pudukki ang Arivar koil
Mukamandaga meduttan mum”