Samanar Hills – Jain Temples & Caves
Samanar
means Jain in Tamil. It is derived from the Sanskrit Shramana, which refers to
all hermits, not just Jains, or more specifically those who prefer meditation
and austerities to Vedic in all matters spiritual. Malai is Tamil for hill. The
Samanar Hills stands in the village of Keezh Kuyil Kudi, just 10 Kms outside
Madurai. Samanar hill is largely composed of granite. In the interior part of
the hill are numerous caves. It is a vital archeological site and home for
countless insectivorous bats of 9 species. For thousands of years bats have
been perching in these eight caves of Samanar Hills and are actually found to
be dangerous to the wellbeing of local atmosphere. However, insectivorous bats
are significant marauders, who include the night flying insects in their diet.
Many of these insects are regarded as crop pests. Thus, bats are important in
this leading agricultural region.
It is
home to prehistoric caves and carvings dating back to around 1 A.D where Tamil
Jain monks lived. Several Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions, stone beds and sculptures
found here demonstrates the strong influence of Jainism on the ancient Tamil
society through. On the top of the hillock, there are naturally formed rocks
that resemble the shape of a crocodile. An enduring fountain can also be
spotted on top of the hillock that flows strangely, without any source.
Geographically,
Samanarmalai is an extensive complex of low rocky hills stretching more than
three km. The hill contains two famous Jain monuments, Settipodavu and Pechipallam,
that show images of Jain Tirthankaras made by Jain monks in the
9th century CE. The Settipodavu contains the image of Mahavira, the last Tirthankara of Jainism. Settipodavu is situated at the
base of the Hills. There’s a stunning bas relief of Mahavira with two
attendants on one side and further inside, several others and a Yakshi, a
spirit nymph in Jain mythology. Today, Yesakki and Petchi are common names in
southern Tamil Nadu and both are modifications of this Sanskrit word – they
have become Hindu names now but bear an ancient link to the country’s Jain
past.
The
inscriptions here are from the 9th-10th centuries and mention the names and
details of the donors for the bas reliefs. The Pechipallam contains
eight sculptures, including Mahavira, Bahubali, Gomateshwara, Yaksha and
Yakshi with Brahmi inscriptions can be seen at the entrance of the cave and
different points in the vicinity of the cave. Pechipallam is situated one level
above Settipodavu. A further level above Pechipallam and a level below the
newly discovered Tamil-Brahmi cave are remains of a Jain structure up to the
basement level. A hillock with Jain vestiges adjoining Samanarmalai tragically
collapsed in the late1990s, due to heavy quarrying nearby.
The
Samanarmalai complex, in the wider sense, includes the adjacent hills at
Muttupatti and Kongarpuliyankulam, which have caves with a large number of
stone beds, besides Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions dating from the 2nd century
B.C.E. The recent discovery has pushed back the historicity of Samanarmalai to
well over 2,000 years, coeval with the earliest Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions. It
appears that the caves with very numerous stone beds in the Samanarmalai region
served as places of retreat for the Jain monks of the Tirukkattampalli
monastery during the rainy season.
Beside
the spring are several holes on the floor and a vertical rock face, indicative
of pandals that were created with wooden poles and thatched roofs. These would
have been places for the school that existed in the village. Inscriptions list
more names of students who commissioned the bas reliefs. Close by, was once a
stone temple of which only the foundation remains. It received a gift in ACE 889
during the reign of Veera Narayana Pandya from his queen Vanavan Mahadevi. One
wonders who owns the land in the Konkarpuliaykunram village that the queen gave
to this temple today.
The
oldest inscription on the hill records the creation of a stone bed by a native
of nearby Thenur in 2nd century BCE. These caves were the homes of many Jain
monks during ancient era. At the entrance of the caves, created to ensure that
rainwater does not go into the cave but trickles away from it by the side. Then
you see the fabulous carvings on the walls—stark lines with minimal
ornamentation. One can see various religiously significant sculptures of
Gomateshwara, Mahavira, Yakshi and Yaksha. In the foothills, there lies a
temple called as the Karupusamy temple and a lotus pond. It has a perennial
pool of water, a reason why the monks probably favored this hill.
It also
has a large sculpture with the images of many Thirthankars, including Mahavir
(identified with his symbol, the lion) and Parshva (identified by the hooded
serpent over his head). Even though Samanar Hills is regarded as a sheltered
nationalized monumental and is a famous place for the tourists, who hire a bus
and visit this spot for a memorable picnic. The local villagers also find this
place vey holy and call it, sacred hills. The hill has been declared as a
protected monument by the Archaeological Survey of India.
Samanar
Malai is an ideal spot to spend some quiet time amid the pious surrounding of
religiously significant place. These hills present a refreshing setting,
different from other sightseeing places in Madurai. It is often visited by
people to meditate. Calmness and spiritual serenity of these hills is sure to
leave every visitor rejuvenated. The view of the surroundings areas from the
top of the hill is also worth climbing the hill. It is also an interesting
place to visit for those who seek adventure. Trekking up to the hills and
exploring the areas nearby will give you the opportunity to spend some time
with flora and fauna of this place.
Ancient Jain School:
According
to archaeological findings, there used to be Jain school at the top of the
hills. The discoveries through the Tamil and Kannada engravings demonstrate
that there was a Jain religious School at the highest point of the slope known
as Maadevi Perumpalli, where many Jain monks and nuns used to come to receive
education. It is said that kings of Pandyan Dynasty also visited this school as
well as many senior monks from Shravanabelagola of Karnataka also studied here.
This was
the central seat of authority for Jainism in the Tamil country, even as
Shravanabelagola is for the Jains of Karnataka. Inscriptions (12th century
C.E.) on the basement of the ruined Jain temple above Pechipallam refer to
visits of senior Jain monks from Shravanabelagola, some of whom chose to end
their lives through Sallekhana (fast unto death) on the Samanarmalai
hill. Here is clear evidence that the fame of Samanarmalai had spread beyond
the borders of the ancient Tamil country.
