Thirunanthikarai is a village situated in Thirparappu panchayath, in the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu, India.

Thirunanthikarai Cave Temple is one of Kanyakumari’s most ancient temples. Believed to have been established in the 9th century AD, this temple is one of Jain religion’s founding stones. Earlier, there were several sculptures present inside the temple, which attracted devotees and visitors.

Although the sculptures do not exist at present, there are stone carvings that narrate many interesting tales pertaining to the Indian culture and religion. One of the stone carvings state that King Raja Raja Chola captured Muttom and renamed it as Mummudi Chola Nalloor. As per research, King Raja Raja Chola celebrated his birthday at this temple in AD 1003. This temple served as home to an ascetic named Veeranandi, who preached Jainism during the 8th century. Currently, the temple is under the maintenance of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), and is an interesting place to visit.

Source:

http://www.makemytrip.com/travel-guide/kanyakumari/thirunanthikarai-cave-temple-religious.html

http://tourmet.com/thirunandhikarai-cave-temple/