Kalugumalai
Encyclopedia
Kalugumalai is a panchayat town in Thoothukudi district
in the India
n state
of Tamil Nadu
.
, Kalugumalai had a population of 14,834. Males constitute 49% of the population and females 51%. Kalugumalai has an average literacy rate of 70%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 78%, and female literacy is 63%. In Kalugumalai, 9% of the population is under 6 years of age.
, as well as many other rock cut images of other tirthankaras. The area is known for the Jain cave temple and architecture. There is also a Murugan Temple dating to the 18th century.
Vattuvan Koil (meaning a sculptor's paradise) is a Hindu temple built between the 8th and 9th century. The carvings reflect the southern temple style of the Pandya era. Nearby are rock reliefs of Jain tirthankaras.
Kalugumalai contains a priceless unfinished Pandyan monolith
cave temple, part of the iconographic richness that helped chronicle the burgeoning richness of the Tamil culture, traditions, and sacred centres containing religious art.
Thoothukudi District
Thoothukudi District, also known as Tuticorin District, is a district of Tamil Nadu state in southern India. Thoothukudi is the district headquarters. It is also known for Pearl cultivation with abundance of pearls found in the seas of Thoothukudi...
in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
.
Geography
Kalugumalai is located at 9.15°N 77.72°E. It has an average elevation of 105 metres (344 feet).Demographics
India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Kalugumalai had a population of 14,834. Males constitute 49% of the population and females 51%. Kalugumalai has an average literacy rate of 70%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 78%, and female literacy is 63%. In Kalugumalai, 9% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Temples
There are many rock cut images dating to the 4th and 3rd century B.C. in the area, including the rock cut image of Bhagawan Parshwanatha flanked by two YakshaYaksha
Yaksha is the name of a broad class of nature-spirits, usually benevolent, who are caretakers of the natural treasures hidden in the earth and tree roots. They appear in Hindu, Jain and Buddhist mythology. The feminine form of the word is ' or Yakshini .In Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist mythology,...
, as well as many other rock cut images of other tirthankaras. The area is known for the Jain cave temple and architecture. There is also a Murugan Temple dating to the 18th century.
Vattuvan Koil (meaning a sculptor's paradise) is a Hindu temple built between the 8th and 9th century. The carvings reflect the southern temple style of the Pandya era. Nearby are rock reliefs of Jain tirthankaras.
Kalugumalai contains a priceless unfinished Pandyan monolith
Monolith
A monolith is a geological feature such as a mountain, consisting of a single massive stone or rock, or a single piece of rock placed as, or within, a monument...
cave temple, part of the iconographic richness that helped chronicle the burgeoning richness of the Tamil culture, traditions, and sacred centres containing religious art.