Kalugumalai Jain Beds, Rock-cut Jain temple in Kalugumalai, India.
The Kalugumalai Jain Beds are a rock-cut temple complex built into a natural stone hillside in southern India's Tirunelveli district.The site contains around 150 carved niches housing statues of Jain saints, arranged on the slope in a way that shows skilled stone carving techniques from an earlier era.
This temple complex was built between 768 and 800 CE under a ruler of the Pandyan dynasty and stands as one of the earliest Jain shrines in southern India.The establishment of this site marked a significant moment in how Jain communities developed and spread throughout this region.
The inscriptions carved into the rock tell stories of donations and the lives of Jain monks and nuns who lived here over many centuries.These names and records remain visible in the stone, showing how this place was a living center for spiritual practice.
The site is well maintained as a protected monument and offers basic facilities for visitors who arrive during daylight hours.Visiting in the morning or early afternoon allows you to see the carved details on the rock surfaces most clearly.
Archaeological evidence suggests the site was originally used by Buddhist monks before later becoming a center for Jain followers.This layering of the past reveals how religious centers in this region shifted and welcomed new communities over time.
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