• 9964432222
  • Mail Us
  • Appointment
  • Locate Us
  • Chat Now
  • Courses
  • Login
  • Register
Manifest IAS
JournalsOfIndia
Manifest Learning Academy
  • Home
  • SNIPPETSfor Prelims
  • ARTICLESfor Mains
  • BROWSEBY SOURCE
  • DOWNLOADS
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • SNIPPETSfor Prelims
  • ARTICLESfor Mains
  • BROWSEBY SOURCE
  • DOWNLOADS
No Result
View All Result
JournalsOfIndia
No Result
View All Result
Home History

Sittanavasal

September 27, 2022
in History
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Sittanavasal
410
VIEWS
Share on WhatsAppShare on TelegramShare on Facebook
image_pdfMake PDF
In news– With much of the art in Sittanavasal either damaged or vandalised, Archaeological Survey of India has undertaken conservation measures and also introduced digital checks to track public access.

History of Sittanavasal-

  • Sittanavasal is the name used synonymously for the hamlet and the hillock that houses the Arivar Kovil (temple of Arihats – Jains who conquered their senses), ‘Ezhadipattam’ (a cavern with 17 polished rock beds), megalithic burial sites and the Navachunai tarn (small mountain lake) with a submerged shrine.
  • Sittanavasal is considered by historians to be one of the oldest inhabited areas in the district, and a major centre of Jain influence. 
  • A second century Jain temple in Sittanavasal consisted of Mahavir statue on both sides of wall is considered as a ‘Meditation Hall’ or Arivar temple. 
  • It is believed that it is the only place in Tamil Nadu where one can see Pandya paintings( it also dates back to Mahendravarma Pallava).  
  • Sittanavasal’s site and art was first mentioned by local historian S. Radhakrishnan Iyer in his 1916 book General History of Pudukottai State. 
  • Subsequent research by French archaeologist Gabriel Jouveau-Dubreil along with iconographer T.A. Gopinatha Rao in 1920 further highlighted the importance of the monuments.
  • The artwork on the ceiling of the sanctum and the ardha mandapam of Arivar Kovil is an early example of post-Ajanta cave paintings of the fourth to sixth centuries, done using the fresco-secco technique (a process that dispenses with preparation of the wall with wet plaster).
  • The ceiling paintings show ‘bhavyas’ (exalted souls who work to achieve moksha or spiritual liberation) enjoying themselves in a pool, full of blooming lotuses; today much of it is obscured by patchy plastering. 
  • Faint outlines linger of dancing girls on the ‘ ardha mandapam’ pillars. 
  • The pillars of the verandah (added by the Maharaja of Pudukottai at the instance of then Diwan Alexander Tottenham in the 1900s), were brought from Kudumiyanmalai. 
  • The colours are a mixture of plant dyes and mineral elements such as lime, lamp black, and clay pigments such as ochre for yellow and terre verte for the greyish-green tints.
  • The cave temples are under the control of Archaeological survey of India.
  • Even though Sittanavasal is a comparatively small archaeological microcosm of Jainism in contrast to those found in Madurai and the Arcot districts, it is thought to be the best preserved example of a Jain cave temple in Tamil Nadu.
  • As per the historians,continuous records of Jainism in the region exist from the first to 10th centuries. Of the 20 cave temples in Pudukottai district, 19 belong to Saivite and Vaishnavite streams of Hinduism; Sittanavasal is the only Jain temple with sculptures.
  • There is a debate about whether Jainism’s prevalence in Tamil Nadu began in the first or the third century. Nevertheless, Sittanavasal remains an important place to study the history of the religion. 
  • There are inscriptions in Brahmi and ‘ vattaezhuthu’, from the third century AD here, which have been discovered and recorded. 
  • Early Tamil inscriptions from the ninth century AD of the Jain monk Ilan-Gautaman, are inside the complex.
image_pdfMake PDF
Source: The Hindu
Tags: NewspaperPrelims

Related Posts

Mahavishnu Temple, Thirunelly

Mahavishnu Temple, Thirunelly

April 28, 2023
Zafar Mahal of Delhi

Zafar Mahal of Delhi

April 27, 2023
Pushkaralu festival

Pushkaralu festival

April 26, 2023
Maa Kamakhya corridor

Maa Kamakhya corridor

April 21, 2023
St Thomas shrine

St Thomas shrine

April 18, 2023
GI tag to Gond painting

GI tag to Gond painting

April 18, 2023
Bihu dance makes a Guinness World Record

Bihu dance makes a Guinness World Record

April 18, 2023
Vishu festival

Vishu festival

April 17, 2023
Teja Singh Sutantar

Teja Singh Sutantar

April 13, 2023
Mission to map rural India’s cultural assets

Mission to map rural India’s cultural assets

April 10, 2023
Please login to join discussion

Our Offline Classroom Student

CONGRATULATIONS TO 2021 TOPPERS !!!

Rank 171 Kumar Shivashish
Rank 250 Sahithya
Rank 263 Sumit Kumar Thakur
Rank 311 Deepak Ramachandra Shet
Rank 455 Ravinandan B M

July 2025
MTWTFSS
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031 
« May    

Browse by Category

  • Agriculture
  • Disaster Management
  • Economy
  • Environment
  • Ethics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Geography
  • Governance
  • History
  • Law & Policy
  • Opinion
  • People in News
  • Places in News
  • Science & Tech
  • Security
  • Society
  • Sports
  • Uncategorized

Browse by Tags

AIR All India Radio BBC Business Line Business Standard dow Down to Earth DownToEarth DTE Economic Times ET FAO Financial Express GS-1 GS-2 GS-3 GS-4 Hindustan Times IE India & the world Indian express Indiatoday India today Kurukshetra Livelihoods portal LiveMint Mains News Newspaper News Paper PIB Prelims PRS India RSTV Science Reporter Survey The Hindu The India Express The Indian Express The Print the wire Times of India TOI TOPPERS Yojana
JournalsOfIndia

Our vision is to orient the readers to grasp the facts objectively and analyse critically. In the rush of reaching first to the readers, the websites miss the balanced opinion, which is the need of the hour. We aim to reach the readers with more crispness, preciseness and relevance. We bring the articles in UPSC way for the civil services aspirants and the Wisest Way for general readers.

Categories

  • Agriculture
  • Disaster Management
  • Economy
  • Environment
  • Ethics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Geography
  • Governance
  • History
  • Law & Policy
  • Opinion
  • People in News
  • Places in News
  • Science & Tech
  • Security
  • Society
  • Sports
  • Uncategorized

Browse by Tag

AIR All India Radio BBC Business Line Business Standard dow Down to Earth DownToEarth DTE Economic Times ET FAO Financial Express GS-1 GS-2 GS-3 GS-4 Hindustan Times IE India & the world Indian express Indiatoday India today Kurukshetra Livelihoods portal LiveMint Mains News Newspaper News Paper PIB Prelims PRS India RSTV Science Reporter Survey The Hindu The India Express The Indian Express The Print the wire Times of India TOI TOPPERS Yojana

Newsletter

The most important UPSC news and events of the day.

Get Journals daily newsletter on your inbox.

© 2020 JournalsOfIndia - A free initiative by Manifest Team.

  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Home
  • SNIPPETS
  • ARTICLES
  • BROWSE
  • DOWNLOADS
No Result
View All Result

© 2020 JournalsOfIndia - A free initiative by Manifest Team.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In