THOOTHUKUDI: Tamil Nadu state archaeology department is all set to declare the Kazhugumalai Jain beds and the rock-cut temple as a protected archaeological monument, as part of a statewide exercise to ensure its safety and splendour. As part of this exercise, 26 hillock monuments are set to be declared as protected sites.
The Kazhugumalai jain beds in Kazhugumalai town panchayat of Kovilpatti taluk is a famous rock-cut architecture from the Pandiyan era, dating back to the 8th century. An unfinished rock-cut temple, housing several Jain relics, is an example of the spread of Jainism in the south.
In 1990, the state government declared the hilltop of Kazhugumalai, consisting of monuments of Vettuvan Koil and a Jain adobe, spread across 3,585 square metres, as a protected site.
In a bid to safeguard ancient structures, Principal Secretary of Finance and Commissioner of Archaeology T Udhayachandran and Joint Director of Archaeology Dr R Sivanatham planned to declare the entire hillock sprawling 21 hectares as a protected monument.
According to the previous notification, 100 metres from the protected monument and a further 200 metres near the site were declared as a regulated area for either mining operations or construction respectively, under rule 33 of the Tamil Nadu Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Rules, 1971.
Similarly, no lease or license will be granted for quarrying within a 300 meters radius from the boundaries of an archaeological site or remains under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act (AMASR Act), as per the Industries, Investment Promotion & Commerce Department notification.
Speaking to TNIE, Department of Archaeology’s Assistant Engineer N Rajesh, who led an inspection at Kazhugumalai and the Vettuvankovil said the archaeology department had proposed to acquire the entire hillock from the revenue department so that the Kazhugumalai hillock could be declared as a protected archaeological monument'. The state government is on a mission to declare 26 protected archaeological sites across various districts, he added.