Alterations at ancient rock art site in Kumittipathi village in Coimbatore removed

Authorities have restored an ancient rock art site in Coimbatore by removing unauthorized alterations and encroachments.

Authorities have removed alterations that had been made to the ancient rock art site at Pathimalai cave in Kumittipathi village, one of the oldest rock paintings in Coimbatore district.

The action was initiated after The Hindu highlighted the alterations at the archaeological monument in its columns on February 12.

District Collector Pavankumar G. Giriyappanavar had initiated an inquiry after coming to know about the alterations to the rock art site, which is located around 30 km from Coimbatore city.

Mr. Giriyappanavar said the Revenue Department in coordination with the Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology (TNSDA) removed the encroachments at the monument.

Officials in the know of the development said that a Revenue Department team headed by Madukkarai tahsildar inspected the cave on Monday. Alterations to the cave, which included partial cement flooring, installation of sacred stones and Tamil writings with white paint on the stone wall, were removed, they said.

The rock paintings of the cave drawn using white pigments, believed to be nealy 3,000 years old, is considered one of the last remaining rock art sites in Coimbatore district that shed light on the life of early inhabitants of the region. The cave at the bottom of a rocky hillock also falls in the Palakkad Gap of the Western Ghats, through which ancient trade routes (Peruvazhi) passed.