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The clock strikes noon and the sun is at its peak. A group ofheritage enthusiasts are climbing up a small hillock in a village calledChithral, near Kanyakumari. I trudge along with them and pause for a moment,waiting to catch my breath. The scene is virtually breathtaking.
Chithral is part of the itinerary of the Naanjil Naadu tour,organised by INTACH, Tamil Nadu, as we set out to explore heritage among cavesand hillocks. Dr V Vedachalam, Retired Senior Epigraphist from Tamil Nadu StateArchaeology Department explains to us that the site was known as Thirucharanattumalai in the ancient times.
“Jains believe that this isthe abode of the monks who had lived in the natural caves here. In fact“charanathar “according to Jainism refers to those celestial beings who fly inthe skies and are seen in places of worship which could be mounds or mountains,sometimes inside towns and living spaces too,” he says.
We continue to trudge along a bit until the rocks part ways andcreate a narrow tunnel like approach for us. And then we see it. The rocks arecarved with bass relief sculptures depicting Thirthankaras and yakshis.
Thereis the serene Mahaveera, the snake hooded Parshvanatha along with Neminatha,the yakshis - Padmavathy and Ambika, also known as Dharmadevi looking out intothe open. Hillocks surround us in the distant horizon as we see pools of waterreflecting the colours of nature.
Dr Vedachalam says that the sculptures date back to the 9th-10thcenturies as inscriptions refer to the patronage of the AY dynasty ruler,Vikramaditya Varaguna who reigned around the period. More inscriptions writtenin “Vattaezhuthu “ (one of the oldest Tamil scripts) refer to monks and nunswho have lived here and also speak about a well known Jaina monk Akshanandi,who was a donor and a patron.
Right atop the cave is a small structural temple dedicated toBhagavathy deity. Dr Vedachalam says that it was earlier a Jaina temple as theyakshi cult gave way to the Bhagavathy cult over the passage of time. A later19th century inscription in Malayalam belonging to the Travancore king MoolamThirunal Maharaja refers to the shrine here.
As we sit in the cave, gazing at the sculptures, Dr Vedacahalampoints to the carving of yakshi Ambika or Dharmadevi and narrates the storyabout her cult. “It was believed that Ambika was an ordinary housewife who wasthrown out of the house by her husband as she had given away all the food tothe Jaina monks. As she walked away with her children, people noticed herdivine powers and started worshipping her.
One version says that thetrees flowered and gave her fruits and even a dry reservoir suddenly filled upwith water, while another version mentioned that a “kalpavriksh” or a wishingtree gave her all that she desired. When her husband got to know about her “divine powers” he came over to call her back, but she out of fear committedsuicide and became a yakshi ,” says Dr Vedachalam adding that today one canalways see Ambika as a yakshi with Neminatha and she is usually flanked withher children and a lion, which is her vehicle. Inscriptions in vattaezhuthu hadbeen found here with references to the yakshi cult as well.
We spend more than a couple of hours here, losing ourselves in aworld of arts and cults, completely cut off from civilisation. For miles andmiles around, the mountains and forests circle us as we wonder if the celestial“charanathars” are watching over us as we walk downhill.
The skyis clear, the floating clouds touch the distant peaks of mountains, thegreenery is refreshing and the breeze comes calling. The weather gods seem tobe on our side for a while as the trees create a canopy for us, sheltering usfrom the mid day sun. For a moment, I forget the heat and lose myself in thejourney, for as always, these journeys are filled with legends and myths ofcults and beliefs.
Chithral is part of the itinerary of the Naanjil Naadu tour,organised by INTACH, Tamil Nadu, as we set out to explore heritage among cavesand hillocks. Dr V Vedachalam, Retired Senior Epigraphist from Tamil Nadu StateArchaeology Department explains to us that the site was known as Thirucharanattumalai in the ancient times.
“Jains believe that this isthe abode of the monks who had lived in the natural caves here. In fact“charanathar “according to Jainism refers to those celestial beings who fly inthe skies and are seen in places of worship which could be mounds or mountains,sometimes inside towns and living spaces too,” he says.
We continue to trudge along a bit until the rocks part ways andcreate a narrow tunnel like approach for us. And then we see it. The rocks arecarved with bass relief sculptures depicting Thirthankaras and yakshis.
Thereis the serene Mahaveera, the snake hooded Parshvanatha along with Neminatha,the yakshis - Padmavathy and Ambika, also known as Dharmadevi looking out intothe open. Hillocks surround us in the distant horizon as we see pools of waterreflecting the colours of nature.
Right atop the cave is a small structural temple dedicated toBhagavathy deity. Dr Vedachalam says that it was earlier a Jaina temple as theyakshi cult gave way to the Bhagavathy cult over the passage of time. A later19th century inscription in Malayalam belonging to the Travancore king MoolamThirunal Maharaja refers to the shrine here.
As we sit in the cave, gazing at the sculptures, Dr Vedacahalampoints to the carving of yakshi Ambika or Dharmadevi and narrates the storyabout her cult. “It was believed that Ambika was an ordinary housewife who wasthrown out of the house by her husband as she had given away all the food tothe Jaina monks. As she walked away with her children, people noticed herdivine powers and started worshipping her.
One version says that thetrees flowered and gave her fruits and even a dry reservoir suddenly filled upwith water, while another version mentioned that a “kalpavriksh” or a wishingtree gave her all that she desired. When her husband got to know about her “divine powers” he came over to call her back, but she out of fear committedsuicide and became a yakshi ,” says Dr Vedachalam adding that today one canalways see Ambika as a yakshi with Neminatha and she is usually flanked withher children and a lion, which is her vehicle. Inscriptions in vattaezhuthu hadbeen found here with references to the yakshi cult as well.
We spend more than a couple of hours here, losing ourselves in aworld of arts and cults, completely cut off from civilisation. For miles andmiles around, the mountains and forests circle us as we wonder if the celestial“charanathars” are watching over us as we walk downhill.
This story was published in my column, Inside Story , in The Hindu Metro Plus
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