Tamil Nadu from a period prior to the 14th-century. Jainism was active in this region, as evidence by inscriptions and literature in the Madurai region by about 1st-century BCE, and more broadly by the Pallava era, including those from the era of King Mahendravarman I (early 7th-century) famous for sponsoring Jain monuments as well as Hindu sites such as the Mahabalipuram monuments. According to T. A. Gopinatha Rao, the inscription on the southern side says Gunandagi-kurattigal, the disciple of Arattanemi - Bhatariyar of Peravakkudi, presented Bhatariyar of Tiruchchanam malai with some golden ornament during the 28th year of reign of Vikramaditya Varaguna. There is much evidence and an established chronology about the Hindu monarch Vikramaditya of Ay dynasty, states Gopinath Rao, and this helps date this temple to the 9th-century. The inscription is Tamil language in Vatteluttu script. The Bhagavati temple was an active place for worship for the locals Hindus, when the entire site's significance and antiquity was discovered by archaeologists. However, their general condition was in ruins as attested by the archived 19th-century photographs of the site taken by Gopinath Rao. He remarked that the outside was ruined, but the cave temple was mostly intact. The exception being the murals and plastered images which had been damaged along with the Padmavati Devi image. Gopinath Rao states that these were "destroyed by [art] thieves" in late 19th-century or early 20th-century. The original statues of Mahavira and Parswanatha remain in good condition. The monument has been cleaned up, many parts of it rebuilt and restored, particularly the partial Vimana on top of the cave temple. The site has a natural "heart shaped" pond below the temple and provides a picturesque view of the farmlands and valley villages. Description The monuments are reached by roughly hewn steps in rocks and the narrow entrance between them. A natural cavern formed by overhanging rock has many bas-relief sculptures of Jain Tirthankaras. This is the north side and the outer wall of the Jain cave temple. It is visible to the visitors as they approach the temple. The reliefs of Parsvanatha and Padmavati are standing figures canopied by multi-hooded cobra and with attendant smaller figures of Yaksha. Most figures in the bas-relief are seated in ardha-padmasana pose in each niches with three tiered parasol. These are many of the other 24 Tirthankaras. To the left, three standing figures are also of Tirthankaras. The central