Archaeological Survey of India took protective measures and implemented digital controls to track public access after three-quarters of the artworks at the Sittanavasal rock-cave temple in Pudukkottai district, Tamil Nadu was damaged or destroyed. This topic is in news and it is also for the exams like UPSC, SSC, State PSC, etc. Students need to be well aware of the current affairs from an exam point of view.
Sittanavasal Caves: An Introduction
- The Sittanavasal Caves (also known as Arivar Koil) are a 2nd-century Tamil Saramana cave complex located in the village of Sittanavasal in the Pudukkottai district of Tamil Nadu.
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Sittanavasal is synonymous with the settlement and hill that houses his Arivar Koil. The temples of Arihats – Jainas who conquered the senses, “Ezhadipattam” (caves with 17 polished bedrocks), megalithic tombs, and his Navachunai-Tarn (small mountain lake) with sunken shrines.
- This is the only place in Tamil Nadu where you can see Pandya paintings. The place and art were first mentioned in 1916 by local historian S. Radhakrishnan Iyer in his book General History of Pudukkottai Province.
About the Artwork
- The Blessed Sacrament and Ardha Mandapam ceiling artwork by Arivar Kovil are early examples of 4th- to 6th-century post-Ajanta cave paintings executed in the fresco secco technique (the processes involved in preparing the walls were abandoned. was). ). with wet plaster).
- The ceiling painting depicts a ‘Bavas’ (moksha, or supreme soul working to achieve spiritual liberation) enjoying a pool of blooming lotus flowers.
- The pillars of Ardha Mandapam show the faint outlines of dancing girls.
- The porch pillars (added in the 19th century by the Maharaja of Pudukottai at the request of the Divan His Alexander His Tottenham) were brought from Kudumiyanmalai.
- The colors are mixtures of plant dyes and mineral elements such as lime, lamp black, and clay pigments such as terreberte, which has ochre gray-green tones. Design elements suggest a possible previous existence as a shrine to Saivite.
- A 3rd-century Brahmi and ‘vattezhuthu’ inscription can be found here. Inside the complex are early Tamil inscriptions by the 9th-century Jain monk Ilan Gotham.
- Of the 20 cave temples in the Pudukottai district, 19 belong to the Saiva and Vaishnavi sects of Hinduism. Sittanavasal is the only Jain temple with carvings.
Challenges:
- Unrestricted public access and prevailing weather conditions have caused these paintings to gradually fade.
- Some inscriptions are destroyed beyond recognition.
- Small piles of trash can be seen all over the site.
- A herd of monkeys roams freely among visitors in search of crumbs of food.
Preventive measures to be taken
- ASI implemented digital controls by introducing electronic tickets and tracking visitor numbers.
- To increase the security forces.
- Installation of closed-circuit television cameras.
- A program to raise awareness of Sittanavasal among young people. Construction of a centre to study the influence of Jainism in the region.