Samanar Hills Keelakuyilkudi - Thriving Jaina Tradition in Madurai Through the 12th Century.

 

Samanar Hills, is a rocky stretch of hills located near Keelakuyilkudi village, 10 kilometres west of Madurai city, Tamil Nadu, India. They stretch east-west over 3 kilometers towards Muthupatti village. These rocky hillocks are home to many Jain and Hindu monuments. The hill has been declared as a protected monument by the Archaeological Survey of India. Samanar Hills, also known as Samanar Malai or Amanarmalai or Melmalai. Different parts of these rocky hills are called by different names and are home to a range of monuments dating between 2nd-century BCE and 12th-century CE. The south side of the extreme western end of this rocky hillocks is called the Samanar hills, and these containing a number of Samanar and Hindu monuments. The eastern parts of the same rocky hillocks include other important sites such as the Kanjamalai with the Thiruparankundram Jain cave and Hindu monuments (Umai Andar), the major rock cut Subramaniya Swamy temple (Kandan) and the 17th to 18th-century Islamic dargah for Sikandar Shah. The Samanar hills contain many Jain and some Hindu monuments and inscriptions at several levels.

 

 

The rocky hills begin around the village Kilkuyilkudi and stretch in an easterly direction towards south Madurai. According to Mahajan, it was the 8th-century Jain scholar Akalanka who founded Samanar Hills and nearby Madurai Jain settlements after vanquishing the Buddhist scholars at Kanchipuram. This led to Jains flourishing here between the 9th and 12-century, along with the establishment of a monastery. The Samanar hills have two significant collection of Jain monuments. On the southwestern slope tip is the Settipodavu with a 10th-century Jain cave. Settipodavu is a short climb up from the base. On the southeastern slope is the Pechchipallam site at a higher level. The Pechchipallam is on the other side of the hills than Settipodavu, and they too contain Jaina reliefs and inscriptions. The Pechchipallam carvings and inscriptions are mostly from the 10th century, a few from the late 9th century and a few after the 10th century.

 

 

The Settipodavu site on the Samanar hills is more easily accessible and oft visited. It is a small cave on the southwestern tip of these hillocks, on the western slope. The cave is a natural one. As one walks towards the cave, into the view comes a large seated Tirthankara relief. A closer look below his asana affirms the lion emblem, suggesting that the image is of Mahavira.[1] Below him is a 10th-century Tamil inscription in a rounded script (Vatteluttu), whose shape and style helps date the image. Inside the cave are three Tirthankaras in the middle. To the left is the Jaina goddess Ambika Devi depicted as a female warrior riding a lion with a drawn bow and arrow in her hands. To the right of the three Tirthankaras is a seated and larger Padmavati Devi. Smaller characters accompany Ambika Devi on elephant and foot. Below these reliefs are three inscriptions, all in Tamil language, Vatteluttu script and all from the 10th century.

 

 

The Pechchipallam site is on the eastern slope, the other side of the Samanar hills. As one approaches the Pechchipallam site, a row of eight Jaina reliefs come into view. Four are of Parsvanatha with serpent hood, one is of Bahubali, and remaining three of other Tirthankaras. In one of these, the Jain yaksha Dharanendra is notable for its relatively rare iconography. He is shown as half snake and half human as he holds the chamaras above the head of Parvanatha. Below these eight reliefs at the Pechchipallam site are six Tamil inscriptions in Vatteluttu script from donors. These help date them between the 9th and 10th century, with two possibly from the late 8th century CE. Thus, the Pechchipallam site had become popular to wealthy patrons supporting Jaina ascetics by about the 9th century. At the top of the Samanar hills is a solitary stone lamp post. This post is an 11th-century or more likely 12th-century predominantly Kannada inscription. This Kannada inscription at Samanar hills top confirms a thriving Jaina tradition in Madurai area through the 12th century and an active interaction between Digambara Jain sites.

 

 

The Samanar Hills are located at a distance of 12 km west of Madurai, near the junction of Indian highways NH44 and NH85. From Madurai railway station, it is about 9 km away while from Madurai international airport, the hill is around 24 km away. Tourists can either book a cab from Madurai to the hills or take a bus. Samanar Hills is connected via all the major modes of transportation.