On 26th January 2026,
India’s Republic Day, I had the opportunity to visit Sittannavasal for
the second time. This village, now part of Pudukottai District in Tamil Nadu,
holds immense historical, philosophical, and cultural significance.
Historically,
Sittannavasal fell under the rule of the Pandya dynasty and functioned
as an informal border region between the ancient Tamil kingdoms of the Cholas
and the Pandyas. Located in a rain-shadow region, agriculture here
traditionally depended on non-water-intensive crops. In recent years, however,
improved water-supply schemes have transformed the region.
Archaeological records
indicate that this place has witnessed continuous human occupation for over
2,100 years. Today, it is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of
India (ASI), an institution established during the British era.
Historical and
Religious Context
Before Shaivism and
Vaishnavism became dominant in Tamil Nadu, the region was home to multiple
religious traditions. Long before Hinduism emerged as a dominant faith, Buddhism
and Jainism flourished across the Indian subcontinent. Aaseevagam (or
Ajivika) was also followed in South India.
While Emperor Ashoka
is widely remembered as a major patron of Buddhism, India also had several Jain
kings before his time. Jainism, along with Buddhism, emphasised ethical
conduct, dharma, and non-violence, often without reliance on a creator-God
concept. Pushya Mitra Sung (founder of the Shunga Dynasty) was the first King
Committed to Sanatana Dharma. History records that he ever performed Ashwa
medha yoga and was a Shiva worshipper.
Jainism and Its
Two Major Sects
Jains are among the
oldest continuous residents of Bharat (Jambudvipa). Broadly, Jainism is
divided into two sects:
- Digambar Jains
are predominantly associated with southern India. Dress was not a
mandatory requirement. Monks were not averse to being nude
- Śvetāmbara (Svetambar) Jains,
found mainly in Rajasthan, Gujarat, and central India. The phase
swetambara, Means white dressed.
Digambar Jains
historically took up agriculture, while Svetambar Jains largely avoided
farming due to their strict interpretation of ahimsa (non-violence), as
farming inevitably causes harm to soil organisms and insects.
Contribution to
Tamil Literature
The contribution of Digambar
Jains to ancient Tamil literature is extraordinary.
The Thirukkural, written over 2,000 years ago by Thiruvalluvar,
is widely believed to have been authored by a Digambar Jain. Remarkably, it
makes no reference to Hindu deities, yet offers profound insights into dharma,
wealth, and pleasure in just 1,330 couplets, each no longer than
seven words. Another major Jain literary work is Naladiyar, a collection
of four-line verses composed by Jain monks over several centuries.
Sittannavasal
and the Jain Way of Life
My visit to Samanar
Padukai, the stone beds carved into granite rock, was particularly
humbling. Reaching the site requires climbing nearly 300 rocky steps.
The terrain is rugged, yet once atop, the environment is surprisingly cool and
serene.
These stone beds were
used by Digambar Jain monks, who lived lives of extreme simplicity. They
used no mattresses or pillows. The granite itself served as a bed, with
a slightly raised stone edge acting as a pillow. Ingeniously carved water
grooves collected rainwater, ensuring a year-round water supply despite the
location being in a rain-shadow region.
Samanar Padukai:
the stone beds
There are 11 such
stone beds in total, though only five are currently accessible. The others
lie deep within forested terrain and remain out of bounds even to ASI staff.
According to Dr. Iravatham Mahadevan, some of these stone beds date back to the
“First century Before Christ”.
Centres of
Knowledge and Learning:
Sittannavasal was not
merely a religious site. It was a centre of learning. Jain monks here
were scholars of medicine, astronomy, literature, philosophy, and ethics.
They believed strongly in Vidya Dānam, the charity of imparting free
knowledge.
Such learning centres
were called “Palli”, a term that today directly translates to “school”
in Tamil. The place was also known as “Arivar Kovil”, the temple of
scholars.
Matap houses the
rock-cut caves with paintings.
Art,
Architecture, and Global Influence:
In addition to these
stone beds, the place houses another site employing ancient painting, employing
natural pigments that date back nearly 1,500 years. Despite centuries of
exposure, traces of these paintings still survive, a testament to ancient
engineering and artistic mastery. The paintings are almost gone. Yet one can
see the traces of the picture outline and the pigments employed.
This technology later
influenced monumental works such as Mahabalipuram, Belur, Halebidu,
Elephanta Caves, and even the Bamiyan Buddhas of Afghanistan.
A Personal
Reflection
I am not a Jain. I was
born into a conservative Hindu family. Yet, as a lawyer and teacher, I have
come to deeply appreciate how Jain monks, Ramanuja Basavanna, Periyar, and
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar worked tirelessly across centuries to ensure equality,
inclusiveness, and rational thought.
No religion remains
dominant forever. Faiths rise and fall, but values endure. Dharma itself
evolves with time and place. No belief system can claim absolute moral
superiority.
Standing at Samanar
Padukai, I felt humbled by the realisation that these barefoot monks,
sleeping on stone beds 2,100 years ago, were walking universities whose
ideas continue to influence the world even today.
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