Volume 2, Issue 10

JAINA SCULPTURES IN YAANAIMALAI AND SAMANARMALAI AT MADURAI

Author

Paper submitted by: S.M. NAGESWARI, Ph.D Research Scholar, School of Historical Studies, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai | Research Supervisor: Dr. S. Mercy Packiam, Associate Professor, Department of History, Lady Doak College, Madurai

Abstract

Abstract: Sculpture is an artistic form. For thousands of years sculptures have been used by humans for various reasons. In ancient times, sculptures were an impressive art form and took a lot of time and hard work to craft. Art tells so much about the people or societies, as it were responsible for it. The subject matter of Indian sculptures was almost invariably abstracted human forms that were used to instruct people in the truths of the religions. Jainism is a religion that emerged during 6th Century BC. There are many archaeological evidences that point out that Jains had come to Madurai about two thousand years ago and preached their religion. One case in point is the hill near Nagamalai where remnants of the settlements of the Jain monks are still exist. In memory of their arrival at this place the place is still called as Samanar malai (Jain hill). True to its name the place still has several Jain remnants. Yaanaimalai hill gets its name “Yanaimalai” from its appearance which is like an Elephant sitting with its trunk stretched in front of it and tail behind it. One can see Jain remnants in this hill. In this paper, an attempt is made to reveal the sculptural potential of Jain sites at Yanaimalai and Samanarmalai in Madurai.

DOI

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