These hills were in early times the abode of Jaina ascetics. The natural
cavern at Aluruttimalai (ஆளுருட்டிமலை), one of the Narttamalai group has traces
of 'beds' similar to those at Ezhadippattam (ஏழடிப்பட்டம்) in Sittannavasal
(சித்தன்னவாசல்), where Jaina monks practiced austerities. More of such Jaina
caverns and Jaina vestiges are to be found on the southern flank of Kudagu-malai.
Kudagu-malai (குடகுமலை) is in front of Alurutti-malai, on the east across the
high road and nearer the railway track. Mela-malai with its caverns and caves
is, in fact, also known as Samanar-malai ('hill-of-the-Jaina-s). Narttamalai
appears to have been an important Jaina centre with temples and monasteries
and also a mercantile centre (Nagaram) as attested by inscriptions. The local
merchants were Silaya-chetti-s (சிலையசெட்டி), according to the inscriptions.
During the 7th to 9th centuries Narttamalai was part of the Pallava Empire,
but was directly administrated by Muttaraiyar-s (முத்தரையர்). The cave temple
known as Pazhiyili Isvaram (பழியிலி ஈஸ்வரம்) appears to have been excavated
during the time of the Pallava Nandi-varman III (மூன்றாம் நந்தி வர்மன்) (about
826-849 AD) by a Muttaraiyar chief Sattan-pazhiyili (சாத்தன் பழியிலி), son of
Videl-vidugu Muttaraiyan (விடேல்விடுகு முத்தரையன்) as stated in the inscription
on this temple dated in the seventh year of the Pallava emperor Nripatunga Varman
(நிருபதுங்க வர்மன்) (about 849-875 AD). This region was apparently been disputed
by the Pandya-s and the Chozha-s till about the middle of the 9th century when
Vijayalaya Chozha (விஜயாலய சோழன்) incorporated it in the Chozha empire after
defeating the Muttaraiyar.
During the reign of Raja Raja I (முதலாம் இராஜராஜன்) (about 985-1014 AD)
Narttamalai was called Telungu-kulakala-puram (தெலுங்கு குலகாலபுரம்) after one
of the titles of the king. The Kadambar-koil (கடம்பர் கோயில்) was built about
the close of the 10th century. There are inscriptions here of the reigns of
Rajendra II (இரண்டாம் ராஜேந்திரன்) and Kulottunga I (முதலாம் குலோத்துங்கன்).
During the last years of the reign of Kulottunga III, Narttamalai came under
Pandya rule. Rajendra III probably recovered it, since there is an inscription
of his reign relating to this temple building, activities, but very soon it
again passed into the hands of the Pandya-s.
Narttamalai could have come under the rule of the Madurai Sultans (மதுரை
சுல்தான்கள்) for about 50 years in the 14th century until the Vijayanagara dynasty
reconquered the south. The only Vijayanagara inscription here, however, is dated
1431 AD and is in the reign of Devaraya II (இரண்டாம் தேவராயன்). Narttamalai
came later under the direct rule of the Madurai Nayak-s.
Akkalraja (அக்கல்ராஜா), a Vijayanagara nobleman was persuaded on his way
to Rameswaram to settle in this tract and put down the lawless Visengi-nattu
Kallar-s (விசெங்கிநாட்டுக் கள்ளர்). He lived in a fort on the Narttamalai hills.
We hear of Akkachi, a Pallava-rayar princess, employing a Kallar warrior of
the Kachiran sect to slay Akkalraja and bring his head. When Akkalraja was thus
killed, his seven wives committed sati by throwing themselves into a pyre prepared
near Nochik-kanmai (நொச்சிக்கண்மாய்) by the side of the Narttamalai hills. The
decedents of these Nayak-s or Raja settlers live in the adjoining place called
Uppilikkudi (உப்பிலிக்குடி), even today and are called Uppilikkudi Rajas.
The Tondaiman-s (தொண்டைமான்) acquired Narttamalai from the Pallava-rayar-s.
Owing to its natural advantages for defence it was for long used as a military
station, and traces new exist of fort walls and citadels.
The Local Assemblies (Nagaram-s)
The earliest references to local assemblies are in the period of 7th-9th
centuries. The Nagaram of Narttamalai came into prominence in about the 10th
century, and, as a unit of local administration, it flourished for many centuries.
It controlled the temples, received and managed gifts for them, controlled taxation,
effected sales and other modes of conveyance of land, exempted land from tax,
distributed among its members the revenue-survey and accounts work of the village
and functioned through an executive body of its own creation. Silaya-chetti-s,
who often bore the names of Chozha or Pandya kings, seem to have been the chief
mercantile class in this.
The Vishnu shrine in the Mela-malai cave is called Padhinen-bhumi Vinnagaram
(பதினென்பூமி விண்ணகரம்), evidently after the ‘eighteen towns’ of the ‘Ainnurruvar’
(ஐனூற்றுவர், assembly of five hundred), and we may conclude that this Nagaram
was associated with or affiliated to the great corporation of Ainurruvar. By
14th and 15th centuries, from the inscriptions mentioning only about Ur or village
assembly, it is possible that the mercantile community had at that time migrated
from this place.
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