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At a distance of about 26 kms from Vellore and around 5 kms from Ranipet is situate the village called Vilapakkam. This otherwise insignificant town is known for its rock-cut shrine and Jain images above the same rock. The first modern reference is found in the North Arcot district gazetteer of 1811. The gazetteer tells that the rock-cut shrine at the foot of the hill is referred as Yelu Vasapadi or “seven thresholds” as six pillars at the entrance forming seven bays. On the same rock, just a short distance above this excavation, is cut a figure, some two feet square, which seems to represent Buddha or one of the Jain Tirthankaras. On the southern side of the hill were mentioned two ancient inscriptions near a pool of water. Some figures were carved on the face of the hill, five among those were referred as Pandavas.
However these appear to be Jain images.
The place was latter taken over by Muslims who had built several tombs and a small mosque up hill on the Monolith. The principal tomb is of Syed Mir Yassam, a saint whose wife and children are also buried close by.
A detailed study of this shrine was provided by K R Srinivasan in his compendium on the Pallava cave temples published in 1964.
The name Pancha Pandava Malai suggests its association with the Pandavas of the Mahabharata, however this is just an attempt to attach the antiquity of the monument to the Mahabharata period. From the inscriptions found in the village, it appears that it was a flourishing Jain center till about eleventh century CE. An inscription of the Chola king Parantaka I mentions digging of a well by a female disciple of a Jain teacher for the benefit of a nunnery. This suggests that the village had a good number of population of Jain monks, male as well as female.
The front façade is supported on six pillars and two pilasters. The pillars are uniformly square from top to bottom in contrast to the usual top and bottom cubical section with an intervening octagonal section as seen in other early Pallava shrines. Pilasters are similar in the style as that of the pillars. These pillars support a curved-profile corbel above. Another row of six pillars and two pilasters separates the mukha-mandapa from ardha-mandapa.
Passage to the natural cavern
Ponniyakshi and other sculptures
Jain Sculptures – On the top of this hill is a natural cavern which was compartmentalized using bricks to construct chambers for recluses. A mosque was constructed at a later period near this cavern. Figure of a yakshi, probably Jwalamukhi, was carved on the rock face near a pool of water. She is shown sitting under a tree holding a chauri (fan). Four figures are carved around her, one on her right and three down on the ground. Among the three on the base of the seat, one is shown standing, another sitting over a horse and the third one standing seems to be a female figure.
This is Child-Friendly Event. Suitable for all age group as this event consists of two amazing attraction, one at the Ground Zero Level - with Absolutely NO TREK, perhaps a small walk from the boundary to the Rock Cut Caves and another involves a trek over the hill through a natural stone carved steps, which I can rank as " Medium " at the difficulty level, doable for all age group. This trek uphill will take us to the Dargah, Carvings, Natural Pond besides a mesmerizing birds eye view of the surrounding Vellore and Ranipet Districts.
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Event Venue
Vilapakkam, Vandavasi, India
Tickets
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.