The Aluruttimalai, also known as Ammachatram (அம்மாசத்திரம்) hill, is one
among the Narttamalai group of hills. It is situated north of Kottai-malai (கோட்டைமலை)
and is the northern most among the Narttamalai-hill group. It is famous for
a natural cavern with polished stone beds and other Jaina remnants.
The Aluruttimalai (notice the natural cavern on the right hand side)
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The name Aluruttimalai means ‘man-rolling-hill’. This is an elongated mass
of rock with continuous steep incline on the northern side and a sheer drop
of over a hundred feet high on the south. According to a local tradition, in
former times criminals were rolled over the edge of this steep cliff so that
they were dashed to pieces on the rocks at the bottom. Some say they were tied
up in sacks and rolled down the steep slope.
Aluruttimalai from the west
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Approach
One can reach this place by taking a diversion from the Pudukkottai – Tiruchirappalli
(திருச்சிராப்பள்ளி) highway at Ammachatram bus stop, the next stop after Narttamalai,
when you come from Pudukkottai. A mud road branches off the main road to the
west, near a beautiful pond with well-laid stone steps and containing full of
lilies. This pond is called Ammachatram urani (அம்மாச்சத்திரம் ஊரணி). A walk/drive
of about one kilometer takes the visitors to the vicinity of the Aluruttimalai.
The natural cavern and Jaina vestiges
On the eastern side of the Aluruttimalai, at the bottom of the hillock,
is the natural cavern, facing east. One can see this natural cavern from the
main road itself.
A close-up view of the cavern
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On the rock over-hanging the cave are two relief sculptures of Tirthankara-s
sitting in dhyanam (தியானம், meditation). Both of them have mukkodai (முக்கொடை,
triple umbrella) above them, indicating them to be Tirthankara-s (தீர்த்தங்கரர்).
The one on the northern side has two attendants holding fly-whiskers, flying
vidhya-dhara-s (வித்யாதாரர்).
The relief sculptures of Tirthankara-s
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One of the polished stone beds
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On the floor of this cave are four polished stone beds similar to those
in the Ezhadippattam (ஏழடிப்பட்டம்) in
Sittannavasal (சித்தன்னவாசல்). Two of
them have been so hewn as to form a double bed, and two others are single beds.
The broken sculpture of Tirthankara
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There is also a broken sculpture of a Tirthankara, sitting in dhyanam (meditative).
The Tirthankara is flanked by two attendants holding fly-whiskers and there
are two flying figures of Vidhya-dhara-s on the top.
There is a damaged Tamil inscription (PSI 474) in front of the cave, towards
south, on the sloping rock. It belongs to the reign of an unidentified Mara-varman
Sundara-pandya (மாரவர்மன் சுந்தரபாண்டியன்). The inscription calls this hill
Thiruppalli-malai (திருப்பள்ளிமலை, ‘hill-containing-palli’), palli meaning a
Jain temple, and mentions two Jaina acharya-s, Dharma-deva Acharya (தர்மதேவ
ஆசிரியர்), and his guru Kanaka Chandra Pandita (கனகசந்திர பண்டிதர்).
In the bushes and among the granite boulders, in front of the cavern are
a few broken parts of some granite structure. All these evidence the great antiquity
of the cave as a place of resort for the Jain-s.
The Kottai-malai, view from the north
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The hill adjacent to Kadambar-malai (கடம்பர்மலை) on the west is Kottai-malai.
Traces of two different fort walls are seen starting from the west side and
north side of the Kadambar hill and covering Kottai-malai. The name Kottai-malai
perhaps owes to this fort. The remnants indicate that the area must have been
originally fortified.
Parts of fort wall on the eastern side of the kottai-malai
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the PARAIYAN-MALAI
The Paraiyan-malai – a view from the east
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On this hill stood once the barrack of the paraiya (drummers) watchers of
the Kottai-malai.
the Uvachchan-Malai (உவச்சன்மலை)
The Uvachchan-malai – A view from the west
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On this hill were situated the quarters of the Uvachchan-s (temple-drummers).
In an inscription of the reign of Raja raja I (முதலாம் இராஜராஜன்) (1013 AD),
there is a reference to their services.
the BOMMADI-MALAI
To the south of the branch-road to this village taking off from the Pudukkottai-Tiruchirappalli
(திருச்சிராப்பள்ளி) road is the Bommadi-malai (பொம்மாடிமலை) on which there was
a Jain monastery. It was known as Then-thiruppalli-malai (தென் திருப்பள்ளிமலை,
‘south-Jain-temple-hill’).
The other two hills Man-malai (மண்மலை, ‘mud-hill’) and Pon-malai (பொன்மலை,
‘golden-hill’) are of little interest.
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