Question

Why is the Sittanavasal Cave in Tamil Nadu considered significant in Indian art history?

• A. It contains the only surviving Chola bronzes in southern India
• B. It houses the only known Pallava murals in Tamil Nadu
• C. It features the only surviving Pandya-era paintings in Tamil Nadu
• D. It is the oldest known Buddhist monastery in South India

Answer 1

Answer:

C. It features the only surviving Pandya-era paintings in Tamil Nadu

Sittanavasal Cave Sittanavasal Cave, also known as Arivar Koil, is a 2nd-century Tamil Śramaṇa cave complex located in Sittanavasal village, in the Pudukottai district of Tamil Nadu. The name Sittanavasal refers both to the village and the hill that houses several important Jain monuments, including the Arivar Koil (meaning "Temple of the Arihants"—Jains who have conquered their senses), Ezhadipattam (a cave with 17 polished stone beds), megalithic burial sites, and the Navachunai tarn, a small mountain lake with a submerged shrine. This site holds special significance as it is the only location in Tamil Nadu where Pandya-era paintings can still be seen. The significance of Sittanavasal and its artworks was first recorded by local historian S. Radhakrishnan Iyer in his 1916 book General History of Pudukottai State.