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Vallimalai is located near Vellore,
16-km north of the Shivastalam Tiruvallam, on the
Chennai
Bangalore highway.
There is a cave on the hillock, which has images of Mahavira and Sidhayika
Yakshi, carved in the 9th - 10th centuries. It has been now converted into
a shrine of Subramanya.
Three Groups Of Jain Images
There are three groups of Jaina images at different places. First group
has Parshvanatha, Adinatha, Sruta Devi and Matanga Yaksha. Second group
contains Adinatha and Mahavira flanked by Matanga and Siddhayika. Third
group has a row of 6-seated images except for the third image; others
represent monks of the Mulasangha at Shravanabelgola in Karnataka.
A separate boulder has Ambika and a Tirthankara. They exhibit western
Ganga styles. The best examples of
Karnataka and
Tamil Nadu Jain relations are exhibited here.
Tourists can access Vallimalai from Vellore either by bus
or train, which is just 16-km away.
Rail: Vellore's main railway station is 5-km north at Katpadi,
which is a junction.
Road: Regular bus services are available from
Vellore to Vallimalai.
Accommodation is available at the moderate class hotels and lodges in Vellore.
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