ALURUTTIMALAI
History- Aluruttimalai, also know as
Ammachatram hill has a natural cave on its northern slope. The cave contains
four polished stone berths on the floor. Two of them are hewn together as to
form a double berth, while the others have been carved to form single berth. The
absence of
any other datable evidence, especially inscriptions, makes it difficult to
ascertain the period of its first habitation by Jain monks. The
overhanging rock has two carved reliefs of Tirthankaras seated in the dhyana
posture with triple umbrellas above the head. These images, probably
representing the first and the last Jinas bear the stylistic features of the
tenth century, and indicate that these darshana bimbas are not co-eval with the
carving of the stone berths. The Jain images carved on the overhanging rock were
called Tiruppallimalai-Alvar.
Guidance- Aluruttimalai is located near in Narttamalai in the Pudukkottai region.