J. Remila*

* Ph.D Research Scholar, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli.

Abstract
India is a land for all time tourism.  It has mountains peaks, valleys, rivers, coastal belts, beaches, forests and even deserts.  Apart from these natural beauties, there are so many man made attractions too.  They include pilgrimage centres, palaces, monuments and so on.  In the ancient times they built these monuments with the help of wood and sand.  In due course they carved the mountains and constructed the cave temples.  The best examples are that of Ajantha and Ellora caves.  Such caves were constructed in Tamil Nadu during the Pallava period.  Following them the Pandyas also constructed cave temples in the south.  One among them is Kalugumalai.  In this paper an attempt has been made to bring out the tourist potentials of Kazhugumalai.

Introduction
Kazhugumalai is situated in Thoodukudi District on the way from Kovilpatti to Sankarankoil, just 18 km to the west of Kovilpatti and 50 km from Tirunelveli.  It is a hilly place which is suitable for rock-cut temples.  Once this place was a land of Jain monks.  They lived in these hills.  It is said that they carved the cave temples.

There are many opinions prevailed among the people regarding the nomenclature of this town.  Kazhugumalai literaly means the hill of the vulture.  The shape of the hill also resembles a vulture.  Therefore this place came to be known as Kazhugumalai.1 This is the common opinion.  According to the second opinion the hill was once a place of Jatayu-a vulture saint.  Therefore it was called as Kazhugumalai.  The third opinion says that Sambathi, a vulture saint did not help his vulture brother Jatayu.  Therefore on the advice of Rama he came here and got mukhthi.2  From 640 A.D to 670 A.D. Madurai was ruled by Maravarman Arikesari.  He became a Saivait from Jainism because of the influence of Gnanasambandar.  After his conversion, he ordered for the hanging of many Jain monks in this mountain.  Therefore it came to be known as Kazhugumalai.3

Historical Importance
Kazhugumalai township formed a part of the Ettaiyapuram Zamin until 1954.  The Ettaiyapuram Zamin this place in 1608 from Muthu Krishnappa Nayak, the King of Maduari.4  It has archaeological evidences for its previous history.  The inscriptions found out from Kazhugumalai revealed that the earlier name of Kazhugumalai was “Nerchuram”.5  According to this inscriptions this ‘Nerchuram’ was under the control of the Pandyas and the rock cut temples were there during their regime.6

There are three rock cut monuments in Kazhugumalai.  The first one is the famous “Vettuvankoil”.  At present this is a Vinayakar temple.  It possesses many marvelous architectural images which attract tourists as well as archaeologists from India and other countries.  It equals in style and grandeur of the Kailashnath temple of Elora.7
This is said to be the work of four priests used to offer penance in this solitary hillock.  The Vimana is in the octagonal shape and is decorated with fish and floral motifs.  Beneath the sikara on the four sides are four outstanding sculptures.8

In the southward direction, just near the Vettuvankoil, there is another rockcut monument known as “Samanar Palli”.  This is believed that there lived the Jain monks and thirthankaras lived has reliefs before 1300 years.  Outside the cave there are so many has reliefts of the Jain thirthankaras.  Once upon a time these caves were used as a School or College for Jainism.  The teachers and students from this College were sent to the nearby Colleges in Madurai, Kanyakumari and Sri Lanka and studied there too.9

Further, there is a rock-cut Muruga temple.  This temple is also famous for its architectural beauty.  It is a massive dome of rock, some 300 feet in height.  This Muruga temple faces south west.  Around the sanctum of Lord Muruga, several mandapas and a Siva temple were built subsequently by the Rajas of Ettaiyapuram.  The temple has a car and a golden palanguin, ten silver Vahanas, a wooden ratha and five other vahanas.  Poojas are performed six times daily.  Kandha Sashti, Thai Poosam, Panguni Uthiram and Vaikasi Visakam are the important festivals in this temple.10

The cave temples and the surroundings attract so many tourists particularly nature tourists and archaeologists not only from India, but also from all over the world.

References
1.    Gazetteers of India, Tamil Nadu State, Thoothukudi District, Vol. II, Government of Tamil Nadu, 2007, p. 1162.
2.    R. Thamilanandan, “Arulmigu Kazhugasalamoorthy Thiruththalapperumai” (Tamil) in Sri
Kazhugasalamoorthy Thirukkovil Kumbabisheka Vizha Sirappithazh (Tamil), Kazhugumalai, 2010, p.6.
3.    S. Sellakkannuppattar “Kazhugumalaiyum Kazhugasalamoorthium” (Tamil) in Ibid., p.91.
4.    R. George, “Kazhugumalaiyil Oru Viduthalaip Payanam” (Tamil), Kazhugumalai, 2006, p. 20.
5.    Ibid., pp. 15-17.
6.    Ibid., p. 17.
7.    Gazetters of India, Thoothukudi District, p. 1162.
8.    Ibid.
9.    R. George, Op.cit., p. 13-15.
10.    Gazetters of India, Thoothukudi District, p. 1162.

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