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Monumental mount
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Yanamalai's historicity makes it a potential tourist spot, writes T.SARAVANAN
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FOR ANY visitor entering the city from the north, the imposing natural hillock on the right of the road is hard to miss. It takes at least five-six minutes before one passes by the hill and gets a view of the countryside.
It is called `Yanai Malai' (Elephant Hill) because from an aerial view, the rock formation resembles an elephant lying prostrate. One of the earliest inscriptions in Tamil Brahmi script are found at the hilltop. The rock-cut beds in Jain caves make the hill all the more fascinating for history enthusiasts.
The Jains named it `Ibakundram'. The Sanskrit word, `Iba', means elephant. There are a lot of mythological stories about the hill. There are references in `Thiruvilaiyadar Puranam', which says that evil demons sent destructive forces to raze the city. These evil forces took the form of an elephant, a cow and a snake and attacked the city. But Lord Shiva protected the city by converting the evil forces into stones. This is how the hillocks Yanaimalai, Pasumalai and Nagamalai came into being. But it is also said that the city always had these hillocks as natural boundaries. Around eight hills including `Velli Malai' (Natham-Dindigul highway), `Pasumalai', `Nagamalai', `Yanaimalai' and `Samanamalai' have been the protective armour guarding the city from external forces from time immemorial.
Narasinga Perumal Temple
The Narasinga Perumal Temple on the foothills of Yanamalai also stands as testimony to the ancient Tamil inscription `Vattezhuthu' during the 8th and 9th century A.D. One of the oldest references of Solar Eclipse is found in these inscriptions dating to 847 A.D. The inscription also mentions that the King donated new attires to the Vedic Brahmins, the practice of taking bath and wearing new dresses after Solar Eclipse is followed even now. "It is believed that after Madurai such reference can be found only in Japan, which has inscriptions recording Solar Eclipse that happened even earlier," says K. Alagesan, Professor of Tamil, The American College, who has researched on ancient inscriptions.
Some of the original Jain Bas-relief sculptures of Mahavira, Gomatheeswarar and Ambika Yakshi are found here. Bas-relief is a sculpture executed upon and attached to a flat surface. The usual impression produced by an artistic relief is that about one-half of the actual proportions of the object are seen in their third dimension of depth.
Vattezhutuhu inscriptions
The `Vattezhuthu' inscriptions also say a lot about how the Vedic Brahmins and revenue department officials patronised the Hindu cave temples. The sculptures are painted with limestone mortar base and natural colours. Inscriptions found on the `Yanaimalai' also has references to the rule of the Chola, Vijayanagara and Nayak Kings. With plenty of historical references and rock-cut beds of Jains, `Yanaimalai' sits as a potential tourist centre.
With the place considered a treasure, the State Department of Archaeology has spent over Rs. two lakhs towards renovation work and declared `Yanaimalai' as a historical monument.
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Delhi
Hyderabad
Madurai
Mangalore
Tiruchirapalli
Thiruvananthapuram
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
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