Pancha Pandava Malai Jain Cave Complex, Vilapakkam,
Vellore
Pancha
Pandava Malai Jain Caves is an ancient Jain Caves located on Pancha Pandava
Malai hillock near Vilapakkam Town in Vellore District of Tamilnadu. The name
Pancha Pandava Malai is associated with Pandavas from Mahabharata. The hill is
locally called as Tiruppanmalai, meaning Scared Milk Hill. It is one of the
largest cave excavations among the Mahendra style caves. The hilly area was a
flourishing Jain center during the early medieval period as it is
evident from the rock cut cave temple, natural caverns with Jaina figures and
inscriptions. The rock cut cave temple is a large excavation on the eastern
lace of the huge hill.
History
Pancha
Pandava Malai seems to have been a flourishing Jaina center from ninth to
eleventh centuries as evident from inscriptions on and near this area. As per
an inscription of Chola king Parantaka I found in a structural temple in this
village, it is suggested that in the first half of tenth century, this town was
under the strong influence of the Jaina ascetics.
Jain Cave
Complex
There
are seven cave temples in the hills, belonging to Nandivarma Pallava period
(740 AD). The rock cut cave temple is one of the largest cave excavations
built in Pallava style. This east facing cave is excavated at the foot of a
large hillock. The cave has a large mukhamandapam supported by twelve pillars
arranged in two rows. The pillars are uniformly square from top to bottom. There
are curved corbels above the pillars and pilasters.
There
are seven niches carved out on the back wall of the cave with empty cells. The
side walls are left with square un-carved blocks. The side walls are left with
square uncarved blocks, which suggest that the plan was to excavate these
little deeper intended for a cell probably. There are two staircases, one on
north and another on south. However, these were not carved out of native rock.
There is
also a cavern atop the hill with a spring. There are carved figures of Yakshi,
Naganadi and a Jain Thirthankar in the cavern. The figure of Yakshi is carved
on a large rock face near a pool of water. Yakshi is shown sitting under a tree
with one leg on the ground and one leg bent on the seat holding a chauri (fan).
There are four figures around Yakshi. There is a Jain Tirthankara figure on the
top of the rock face shown seated in Yogaasana.
On
southern face of the same rock we see two carved figures, one of naked male
figure and an animal. An inscription near the figure says "Naranan has
carved the figure of Pon Iyakki (Yakshi) for his guru Naganandhi during the reign
of Nandivarma Pothatharasar". As per an inscription, this hill is referred
as Tiruppanmalai. There are two inscriptions on this rock face, one of the
Pallava king Nandivarman and another of the Chola king Rajaraja I.
Another
inscription belonging to Chola period tells about the donation of a village
Kooraganpadi, by a kind of Lada country, Veeracholan and his queen. Hearsay
tells about a palace at the Malligai Medu village (Lalaimedu) to the west of
Arungundram. It is also believed that there existed 108 Siva temples in and
around Arungundram village and the hills. Even now one can see remnants of Siva
temples and lingams scattered all around the paddy fields of Arungundram.
Connectivity
This Jain
Cave Complex is located at about 3.5 Kms from Vilapakkam Bus Stop, 7 Kms from Arcot,
11 Kms from Ranipet, 13 Kms from Walajah and 27 Kms from Vellore. Nearest
Railway Station is located at Ranipet (11 Kms) and Nearest Airport is located
at Chennai (113 Kms).