History – Half a mile to the north west of the village of Arittapatti is a hillock called Kalinjamalai. On the eastern face of the hill is a cavern with a drip-ledge cut into the outer face of the rock. On the brow of the cave is found a Bramhi inscription which has been dated to between the second and first century B.C. It states that the cave was donated by Chalivan Attananvoliyan of Nelveli. Arittapatti continued to be a flourishing Jaina centre until the ninth century. This is confirmed by the period rock carving of a seated Tirthankara, canopied by a triple umbrella over his head; an icon commissioned on behalf of the accountants ofNerkoduby the renowned preceptor.- Ajjanandi.
The people of the Vaniyakkudi village agreed to protect the image, and in their honour, the sacred hill at Arittapatti was renamed Tiruppinaiyanrnalai.
How to Reach – Arittapatti is a hill-village located five miles from Melur along the route to Alagarkoil from Madurai.