Sittannavasal is a small village in Pudukkottai district and is world famous for its fresco paintings in the rock-cut Jaina cave temple.
Sittannavasal has an important place in the history of Tamil Nadu. The megalithic monuments such as stone-circles, urn burials and cists spread in the plains of this village testify that this area was inhabited by pre-historic man.
Sittannavasal is known primarily for its mural paintings in the Jaina rock-cut cave temple called Arivar-koil. These paintings are second only in importance after Ajanta paintings in the art history of India.
There is a natural cavern, called Ezhadippattam, with polished rock beds of Jaina ascetics. These rock beds contain Tamil inscriptions. The oldest is a Tamil Brahmi inscription, the oldest in the district, and was being considered till recently as belonging to the 3rd century BC. According to the recent study by Iravatham Mahadevan, it is dated to the 1st century BC. Sittannavasal is perhaps the only place where one can find inscriptions in Tamil from the 1st century BC to the 10th century AD.
Source:
http://tamilheritage.wikispaces.com/Sittannavasal+Monument+and+its+Cave+Paintings