Sittanavasal Cave
சித்தன்னவாசல்
A Jain cave temple about 55 km south of the city, preserving rare lotus-pond murals and rock beds from the 9th-century Pandya period.
Sittanavasal Cave, in Pudukkottai district, is a Jain cave temple (Arivar Koil) carved into a rocky hill. Its ceilings and pillar capitals retain murals from around the 9th-century Pandya period, depicting fish, ducks, elephants and lotus pickers in a lotus pond. They are considered precious ancient paintings in South India, comparable in style to Ajanta. Nearby, on the hilltop, are the stone beds of Jain monks (Ezhadipattam), inscribed with pre-Common Era Tamil-Brahmi script. The site is managed by the Archaeological Survey of India, and entry is inexpensive. The mural area is dim, and flash photography is prohibited. It takes about 1.5 hours by car from Trichy and can be combined with the Pudukkottai Museum.
Opening hours
09:00–17:00
Nearby sights
- Erumbeeswarar Temple
- Chokkanatha Nayak Palace (Rani Mangammal Mahal)
- Chinnakadai Street Bazaar
- Our Lady of Lourdes Church
- Rockfort Ucchi Pillayar Temple
- Vayalur Murugan Temple
- Jambukeswarar Temple, Thiruvanaikaval
- Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam