ensemble has not been adopted but arranged in a haphazard way. Painting of the Sittanvasal Caves were analysed to establish the technique and the material used to make the. Analysing a painting of a lotus pond in the ardhamantpam, it has been inferred that they are made with Fresco-secco, techniques made over rough stone using rough plaster of thickness made of lime mortar and sand with minor impurities, applying thick lime wash of fine lime water when the rough lime plaster is still rough. The pigments used are composed of white made from lime, black made from wood charcoal or lamp black, yellow from yellow ochre, red from red ochre, blue from ultramarine\lapis lazuli, and green from terre verte. Pigments of permanent mineral colours (not vegetable colours as reported on the display plaque at the site by ASI) were applied over dry plaster surfaces without any adhesive grove; the process involved a chemical reaction of lime water which absorbed oxygenin the air and getting converted by a carbonisation process into insoluble calcium carbonate, which enabled the pigments to adhere to the surface. At the initiative of Pudukkottai State, during 1937–39, the paintings were cleaned, and then given a preservative coating. Also, the damaged portions of the plastering were injected with cementing material and the paintings were also retouched. The condition of paintings are deteriorating. In Kollywood lyrics Lyricist Vaali has made a reference to the Sittanavasal caves in two of his songs - Enna Vilai Azhage (Movie - Kaadalar Dinam) and Sorgathin Vasapadi (Movie - Unnai Solli Kutramillai) Gallery See also Śramaṇa Tamil Jain References Citations Sources External links Sittanavasal Cave and Eladipattam by Wondermondo Sittanavasal profile Appreciation of the Ancient The Hindu Jainism in India Buildings and structures in Tamil Nadu Archaeological sites in Tamil Nadu 2nd-century Jain temples Jain rock-cut architecture Pandyan architecture Pallava architecture Tamil art Jain caves in India