Sittanavasal
Sittanavasal is a rock cut temple near Trichi in Tamil Nadu. It is located at a distance of just 58 kms from trichy and is one hours drive from the place. The temple belongs to the 6th century AD and the site has some ancient monasteries of the Jain Tirthnkars.
Sittanavasal is the corruption of Sit - tan - va - yil in Tamil language which means the Abode of great Saints. There are fine fresco paintings on the rocks and the caves. These paintings are the typical 9th century paintings of the Pandyan period. These pictures have detailed pictures of fish, animals, ducks, gatherings of the people, people gathering lotus flowers from a pond, two dancing figures, etc. All these inscriptions on the cave date back to the 9th and 10th century.
The rules for paintings are given in the Silpa Sastra texts. You can easily spot the difference in the paintings of Ajanta and Sittanavasal or any other paintings in the south. In case of Ajanta murals, the temporal style is used. The base is prepared, covered with the coating of lime plaster. Paint is applied when the background dries.
The ceilings, walls, cornice, beams and pillars of Sittanavasal cave are decorated with paintings. Some of them have perished as time went and the ones on the ceiling and upper portions of walls still remain. The lotus pool one and the one on the pillars and the carpet canopy are very important.
The place ranks among the great treasures and heritage of the country. Sadly, not much is known about this place and not many recognize the name of Sittanavasal. This place is about 1000 years old and stood the test of time.
Trichy has a well-developed transport system and it is well connected to important places in the state. Trichy has an international airport that has flights to all the important cities in India. This airport is the second best after Chennai airport for connectivity and there are flights to Colombo from this airport. Trichy is a Hub of Southern Railways and it connects Tamil Nadu to other southern states. There are more than 200 trains crossing this station per day in its division. The railway station is modern and has been upgraded with international standards. A number of express trains connect this place to other important railway stations. There are also a number of passenger trains on this route. Trichy is well connected to various important places in the state. Trichy is connected by a number of important National Highways. . There are two bus stations in Trichy. Catiram bus station is near Rock Fort temple and the The central or Main bus station.
Once you reach Trichy, you can easily find transportation to Sittanavasal. You can hire a private car or take a local bus and reach Sittanavasal. It is a one hour drive from Trichy and is one day trip from there.