Jayantavarman was the son and successor of
Maravarman Avanisulamani. T. V. S. Pandarathar identified him as the king who ruled in
Madurai, when the Chinese traveler
Xuanzang visited
Kanchipuram. The
rock-cut cave temple at Malaiyadikurichi in
Tirunelveli district is ascribed to Jayantavarman's reign. This inscription is dated to the 17th regnal year of "Maran Sendan", and states that the cave was excavated by an officer under the royal order. It was discovered in 1959, and is written in mixed
Tamil Brahmi and
Vatteluttu. Another inscription ascribed to Jayantavarman was discovered in
Vaigai riverbed at
Madurai by a washerman, who used it for washing clothes. K. V. Raman noticed it in 1961. This inscription is dated to the 50th regnal year of "Sendan". The Sanskrit portion of this script is written in
Grantha script, while the Tamil portion is written in Vatteluttu script. According to this record, Sendan performed several charitable donations (
maha-dana) including
hiranyagarbha and
tulabhara. He commissioned a
sluice to the Vaigai river, and named it
Arikesariyan (apparently after his heir-apparent
Arikesari). He also founded the city of Mangalapura. The Velvikkudi Grant states that
Ko Chadaiyan Ranadhira, a later Pandya king, attacked and defeated certain
maharathas (warriors?) at the city of Mangalapura. Historians generally tend to identify Mangalapura with present-day
Mangalore. K. V. Raman identifies Mangalapura with modern Mangalam, located on the northern bank of the
Kollidam River in
Tiruchirappalli district. == References ==