38 



ANTIQUITIES OF MAMANDUR 



in Tamil and Grantham, mixed with a few unknown 

 characters ; but the sounds ' expressed by the known letters 

 convey no meaning, although the Tamil word " Yelakku " 

 (light) occurs more than once. These seem more modern than 

 the writing met with in the first chamber. 



About a quarter of a mile further to the south occur the 

 largest of the excavations, the plan of which is represented 

 on a fly leaf. 



It is constructed on the same principles as the smaller 

 works, but has evidently never been finished, for a beginning 

 has been made on the southern side of the rock to drive 

 galleries to meet the interior corridors, and the walls have no 

 inscriptions. As in the smaller halls, each doorway has a 

 couple of steps leading up to it, and ornamental cornices are 

 carved just above the floor and below the roof. On either 

 side of the sill, hollows have been let into the stone with 

 corresponding ones above, evidently for the purpose of fixing 

 wooden doors. 



The fourth excavation calls for little notice. It is on the 

 same scale as the two first, and has never been completed. 



All these caves are, by the people, attributed to the five 

 Pandavas and called the Pancha Pandava Devals, but a very 

 similar excavation five miles south-east of the town of Arcot, 

 on a hill called the Pancha Pandava malai, bears evidences of 

 having been the work of Jains, for a representation of one of 

 the objects of their worship is cut upon the rock just above 

 the entrance, and other figures of the same kind occur 

 elsewhere upon the hill. It may, therefore, be safely con- 

 cluded that the Mamandur caves owe their origin to the Jains, 

 who are known to have flourished, many centuries ago, in 

 Conjeveram and the country round it. In the taluks of Arcot 

 and Wandiwash they are still numerous, but have no 

 knowledge of their previous history, only retaining, in 



