Sithanavasal | |
|---|---|
village | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| District | Pudukkottai |
| Population (2001) | |
| • Total | 1,629 |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Tamil |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
Sithanavasal is a village in the Annavasal revenue block of Pudukkottai district, [1] Tamil Nadu, India.
As of the 2001 [update] census, Sithanavasal had a total population of 1629 [2] with 805 males and 824 females. Out of the total population, 650 people were literate.
The famous historical Fresco Paintings (similar to the Ajanta paintings) by the Jain saints are found inside the caves situated here. There are also the Jain beds of rock (Samanar Padukkai) Sittanavasal Cave is a rock-cut Jain monastery located at around 60 km from the city - it is an ideal place for a Sunday morning trip. Maintained by the ASI it also sports many attractions in the complex which helps kids have their fun quotient.
A rock-cut Jain temple named Arivar-Koil was carved here which sports paintings made during the 9th century. The most important reason to visit these caves is the paintings. The other attractions are finding out the mysteries behind the vibrating Om and how the Jain monks had lived during the 9th century.
The fresco paintings are similar to the ones found in Ajanta caves and are made using vegetable dye have now disappeared and disfigured due to vandalism until the ASI took over in 1958. There are 287 steps which lead to the top of the hillock, which has around 17 rock beds where the monks used to rest. The ascent to the top gives you a panoramic view of the small town below dispersed with small agricultural fields and lakes. It would make up for a good rock climbing session and prove to be fruitful with the scenery and impressive architecture on top. The historical monuments are a treat to the visitors who want to indulge themselves in a bit of history of the Jain and Pandya periods. Apart from these there are also two parks one the recreational park while the other is a Tamil Divine park and a recreational park which can be a good spot to click holiday pictures. There is also a small lake created for boating.
Though family picnics to such places can be wonderful, a small trip with students accompanied by a historian would be a great hit. You can also engage in historical walks, nature walks along the smaller water bodies where one can spot different birds. This makes up for an ideal mix of history, nature and architecture.
Wikimapia Route: En route to Pudukottai. Travel time: One hours and 30 mins. Things to carry: Cameras, umbrellas, water bottles. Timing: Throughout the day. Activity: Bird watching, boating, rock climbing, trekking. Places nearby: Pre historic megalithic burial sites, smaller rock cut caves.
The Ajanta Caves are approximately 30 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments dating from the 2nd century BCE to about 480 CE in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra state in India. The caves include paintings and rock-cut sculptures described as among the finest surviving examples of ancient Indian art, particularly expressive paintings that present emotions through gesture, pose and form.
Vihāra generally refers to a Buddhist monastery for Buddhist renunciates, mostly in the Indian subcontinent. The concept is ancient and in early Sanskrit and Pali texts, it meant any arrangement of space or facilities for dwellings. The term evolved into an architectural concept wherein it refers to living quarters for monks with an open shared space or courtyard, particularly in Buddhism. The term is also found in Ajivika, Hindu and Jain monastic literature, usually referring to temporary refuge for wandering monks or nuns during the annual Indian monsoons. In modern Jainism, the monks continue to wander from town to town except during the rainy season (Chaturmas), and the term "vihara" refers to their wanderings.
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The Bagh Caves are a group of nine rock-cut monuments, situated among the southern slopes of the Vindhyas in Bagh town of Dhar district in Madhya Pradesh state in central India. These monuments are located at a distance of 97 km from Dhar town. These are renowned for mural paintings by master painters of ancient India. The use of the word "cave" is a bit of a misnomer, since these are not natural, but instead examples of Indian rock-cut architecture.
Rock-cut architecture is the creation of structures, buildings, and sculptures by excavating solid rock where it naturally occurs. Intensely laborious when using ancient tools and methods, rock-cut architecture was presumably combined with quarrying the rock for use elsewhere. Though, in India and China, the terms cave and cavern are often applied to this form of man-made architecture, caves and caverns that began in natural form are not considered to be rock-cut architecture even if extensively modified. Although rock-cut structures differ from traditionally built structures in many ways, many rock-cut structures are made to replicate the facade or interior of traditional architectural forms. Interiors were usually carved out by starting at the roof of the planned space and then working downward. This technique prevents stones falling on workers below. The three main uses of rock-cut architecture were temples, tombs, and cave dwellings.
Sittanavasal Cave is a 2nd-century Tamil Śramaṇa complex of caves in Sittanavasal village in Pudukottai district of Tamil Nadu, India. Its name is a distorted form of Sit-tan-na-va-yil, a Tamil word which means "the abode of great saints".
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Indian rock-cut architecture is more various and found in greater abundance in that country than any other form of rock-cut architecture around the world. Rock-cut architecture is the practice of creating a structure by carving it out of solid natural rock. Rock that is not part of the structure is removed until the only rock left makes up the architectural elements of the excavated interior. Indian rock-cut architecture is mostly religious in nature.
Dulari Qureshi is an Indian academic, art historian and author. She has written more than 1,000 articles on art, culture and tourism development and its impacts on monuments. She is a retired professor and Director in the Department of Tourism Administration, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad. She is also the Cultural chairperson of the Ellora-Ajanta Aurangabad Festival. One of her significant contributions is the discovery of inscriptions at Pitalkhora near Aurangabad. Qureshi is the President of Indian Tourist Congress. She is from Aurangabad, Maharashtra.
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Cholapandiyapuram or Cholavandipuram or Cholapandipuram is a 1 sq. kilometre village in Tirukkoyilur taluk in Kallakurichi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Agriculture is the primary occupation of the people who live in this area. In 2011, the village had a population of 1,000 people.
Jainism has an extensive history in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, although practiced by a minority of Tamils in contemporary times. According to the 2011 India Census, Jains represent 0.12% of the total population of Tamil Nadu, and are of the Digambara sect. Tamil Jains are primarily concentrated in northern Tamil Nadu, in the districts of Madurai, Viluppuram, Kanchipuram, Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Cuddalore and Thanjavur.
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Onampakkam is a small village in Maduranthakam taluk in Chengalpattu district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The major occupation of the people living at this place is agriculture. In 2011, it had a population of 4000.
Sittanavasal is a small hamlet in Pudukkottai district of Tamil Nadu, India. It is known for the Sittanavasal Cave, a 2nd-century Jain cave complex. From the 7th to the 9th century A.D., the village flourished as a Jain centre.
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Yanaimalai is a protected monument and tourist attraction in Tamil Nadu, India. It has Jain sculptures, a Shaivite temple, and a Vaishnavite temple, namely the Narasingam Yoga Narasimha Perumal Temple.
The Buddhist caves in India. Maharashtra state Aurangabad Dist. Ellora caves form an important part of Indian rock-cut architecture, and are among the most prolific examples of rock-cut architecture around the world. There are more than 1,500 known rock cut structures in India, out of which about 1000 were made by Buddhists, 300 by Hindus, and 200 by Jains. Many of these structures contain works of art of global importance, and many later caves from the Mahayana period are adorned with exquisite stone carvings. These ancient and medieval structures represent significant achievements of structural engineering and craftsmanship.
Thirupparankundram Rock-cut Cave and Inscription, also known as Umai Andar or Umaiyandar temple, is a rock cut cave temple with inscriptions at the foot of the Thirupparankundram rock hill's south face. It is located in the town of Thirupparankundram, about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) southwest of Madurai city, Tamil Nadu, India. It consists of several layers of construction, the earliest is dated to the 8th-century early Pandya period, and the last to the 13th century.