some of these caves published in 1911 by K. V. SUBRAMANYA AIYAR in his article "The origin and decline of Buddhism and Jainism in Southern India", Indian Antiquary, Vol. XL, 1911, pages 210 to 211.

THE FIRST COUNTRY that the (Buddhist) missionaries from Ceylon could have visited is the Pâṇḍya territory with which, as we have already pointed out, the Singhalese were well acquainted and even connected by marriage ties. We shall now see if there is anything in the Pâṇḍya country to bear testimony to our view.

Since the discovery of a cavern with Brâhmî inscriptions at Marugâltalai in the Tinnevelly district by Mr. Chadwick, I have discovered several similar ones with lithic records of the 3rd century B.C., all in the Madurâ district.¹ Four of these are at a place called Ariṭṭapaṭṭi in the Mêlûr tâluka, one on the Ânaimalai hills near the insignificant village of Nâraśingam which may be characterised as an ancient Jaina settlement; one on the hill at Tirupparangunram, behind the village châvaḍi, opposite the railway station; another at Alagarmalai and still another at Ammaṇâmalai, which last I was misled to believe to be Kongar-Puḷiyangulam where I learnt there was a Buddhist cavern and which was accordingly termed by me as such. Kongar-Puḷiyanguḷam was subsequently found to contain another similar monument, and this proves that my information was not incorrect.

More of these caverns were found, one at Mêṭṭuppaṭṭi by Rai Bahadur V. Venkayya, another at Varichchiyûr by Mr. Vibert and a third at Kîḷavaḷavu by Mr. Venkata Rao. These monuments are the oldest that the Pâṇḍya country contains, or, for the matter of that, the oldest in Southern India. For a complete description of these caverns reference may be made to Mr. Venkayya's remarks on them in the Annual Report on Epigraphy for 1908. As regards the position of one and all of them, Mr. Griffith's excellent note that seclusion from the world and the active business of life was obviously the first essential of the saintly life of Buddhism, as of all ascetic forms of religion, and that the originators of the caves seem to have been influenced not only in the choice of the site, but also by a keen appreciation of natural beauty, and that all the caves are superbly placed with an obvious selection of a noble outlook and perfect seclusion from the world,² are well applicable. That during the time of the Chinese pilgrim Fa Hian, caves were resorted to in India by

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¹They are noticed in the Annual Reports of the Assistant Archaeological Superintendent for 1906-7, 1907-8 and 1908-9, under "Earliest Lithic Monuments of the Tamil Country."

² Ajanta Paintings by Mr. Griffith, Introduction.