Keelavalavu
{{Short description|Neighbourhood in Madurai district, Tamil Nadu, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2018}}
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File:Kizhavalavu (Kilavalavu) -Jain Sculptures.JPG
Keezhavazhavu (also known as Kilavalavu and Keelavalavu and Kizhavalavu) is a village in Madurai district of Tamil Nadu, India. It is located {{convert|43|km}} from Madurai. It is known for two hillocks called Panchapandavar Malai or Panchapandavar Padukkai which contains ancient Jain sculptures and stone beds, and another is Sakkarai peer oliulla Mountain. It has a cave.
Description
File:Kizhavalavu (Kilavalavu)-Panchapandavar beds.JPG
Keelavalavu is located in the Melur taluk of Madurai district. It is located {{convert|11|km}} from Melur. In the 2011 census of India, it had a population of 5686, of which 2847 were males and 2839 females.{{cite web | url=http://www.populationofindia.co.in/tamil-nadu/madurai/melur/.keelavalavu | title=Population distribution of village Keelavalavu | publisher=populationofindia.co.in | access-date=2 April 2014}} The village is rich in granite and it is one of the hubs for illegal quarrying in the district.{{cite news | url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil_nadu/article596900.ece?service=print | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407140500/http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil_nadu/article596900.ece?service=print | url-status=dead | archive-date=7 April 2014 | title=Illegal quarrying: Rs 8k-crore hoarded granite found | work=The New Indian Express | date=28 August 2012 | access-date=2 April 2014}}{{cite news | url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/madurai/Case-against-six-granite-quarries-as-raids-continue/articleshow/15383636.cms | title=Case against six granite quarries as raids continue | work=Times of India | date=7 August 2010 | access-date=2 April 2014}}
=Panchapandavar Malai=
Panchapandavar Malai (Hill of Five Pandavas) is located in the village on the Melur – Tiruppattur road.{{cite web | url=http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl2917/stories/20120907291712800.htm | title=Monuments in peril | publisher=Frontline | date=25 August 2012 | access-date=7 March 2014}} The hillock contains caves that were converted as adobe by the Jain monks who lived here when their religion flourished in the ancient Tamil country.{{cite news | url=http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/namma-madurai-history-hidden-inside-a-cave/article4051011.ece | title=Namma Madurai: History hidden inside a cave | work=The Hindu | date=31 October 2012 | access-date=7 March 2014}} The hillock is one of the national monuments declared by the Archaeological Survey of India.{{cite web | url=http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_alphalist_tamilnadu.asp | title=Alphabetical List of Monuments - Tamil Nadu | publisher=Archaeological Survey of India | access-date=9 March 2014 | quote=S. No. 84 — Panchapandava Bed, Jain Statues, And Brahmi And Vatteluttu (Malai Inscription On The Panchapandar)}}
The cave contains nine Jain sculptures belonging to 9th and 10th century AD, including sculptures of Mahavira, the last thirthankara and Bahubali.{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/namma-madurai-history-hidden-inside-a-cave/article4051011.ece|title = Namma Madurai: History hidden inside a cave|newspaper = The Hindu|date = 31 October 2012|last1 = Kavitha|first1 = S. S.}} It also contains Tamil-Brahmi and Vatteluttu inscriptions.{{cite news | url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/history-and-culture/vandalised-hills-and-vanished-history/article4717943.ece | title=Vandalised hills and vanished history | work=The Hindu | date=15 May 2013 | access-date=7 March 2014}} The Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions in the cave were discovered by Venkoba Rao in 1903.{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_aEsAAAAMAAJ&q=kilavalavu | title=Plenary sessions | publisher=Hoe & Co. | year=1968}} The inscriptions were engraved from right to left and upside-down. This kind of inscription is only found here in the Kundrakudi hill.{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DZBkAAAAMAAJ&q=kilavalavu+right+to+left+upside+down | title=Early Tamil epigraphy from the earliest times to the sixth century A.D. | publisher=Harvard University Press | author=Iravatham Mahadevan | year=2003 | isbn=978-0-674-01227-1}} There are stone beds in the caves which were used by Jain monks for rest. An inscription in the cave mentions that these stone beds were sculptured by a person from Thondi.
Quarrying
The granite quarrying in the hillock, carried out by the government and private companies, vandalised some of the sculptures and inscriptions.{{cite news | url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/storehouse-of-treasure/article1820116.ece | title=Storehouse of treasure | work=The Hindu | date=29 April 2011 | access-date=9 March 2014 | quote=Mahadevan is upset that quarrying of granite at Kizhavalavu has destroyed the first letter in the word Tondi.'}} In response to a public interest litigation filed by the residents of the village in 2008,{{cite news | url=http://news.oneindia.in/2008/03/21/plea-to-stop-quarrying-near-hill-in-tn-1206081167.html | title=Plea to stop quarrying near hill in TN | work=One India | date=21 March 2008 | access-date=9 March 2014 | archive-date=9 March 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140309101004/http://news.oneindia.in/2008/03/21/plea-to-stop-quarrying-near-hill-in-tn-1206081167.html | url-status=dead }} in 2011 the Madurai bench of Madras High Court banned the granite-quarrying activities of the Tamil Nadu Minerals Limited (TAMIN) and private companies inside an area of {{convert|51|acres}} around the hillock,{{cite news | url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil_nadu/article400727.ece?service=print | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140309101556/http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil_nadu/article400727.ece?service=print | url-status=dead | archive-date=9 March 2014 | title=No quarrying at Panchapandavar | work=The New Indian Express | date=24 February 2011 | access-date=9 March 2014}}{{cite news | url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/tamin-quarrying-within-protected-area/article1325283.ece | title=TAMIN quarrying within protected area | work=The Hindu | date=29 August 2008 | access-date=9 March 2014}} citing the presence of a Jain monument of archaeological importance.{{cite news | url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/protect-keezhavalavu-hillock-high-court/article1485209.ece | title=Protect Keezhavalavu hillock: High Court | work=The Hindu | date=24 February 2011 | access-date=12 March 2014}}{{cite news | url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/freeze-mining-near-jain-monument-bench/article1300830.ece | title=Freeze mining near Jain monument: Bench | work=The Hindu | date=24 July 2008 | access-date=9 March 2014}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{coord missing|Tamil Nadu}}
{{Madurai district}}
Category:Jain rock-cut architecture
Category:Villages in Madurai district