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EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
religious establishments is not unknown in Indian epigraphy. Thus an inscription[1] in the
Siṁhāchalam temple in the Visakhapatnam District records a grant made in its favour by Tallamādēvī, queen of Gaṅga Bhānu IV, when she was herself staying at Vārāṇasī-kaṭaka (Vāraṇasīkatakānuṁḍi) which is the same as Abhinava-Vārāṇasī of Sōmaladēvī’s record. The village
of Uḍaiyakāmam or Udayakāma was no doubt situated in her own jāgīr in her husband’s dominions.[2] The mention of the Gaṅga king’s regnal reckoning in dating Sōmaladēvī’s record appears
to be due to the fact that it was drafted at the Gaṅga capital.[3] The grant of Anaṅgabhīma III
in favour of the Kāñchīpuram temple was apparently made similarly in absentia. But the partiality
shown by the Gaṅga queen and her husband to a Vaishṇava shrine in the Tamil country may suggest
that she was related to the Chōḷa royal house.[4] It will thus be seen from the above discussion that
there is hardly any proof in favour of the suggestions that the Gaṅga king Anaṅgabhīma III was
for a time stationed at Kāñchī together with his queen Sōmaladēvī and that he conquered the
Tamil country as far as the Tanjore-Tiruchirappalli region in the south.[5]
The inscription under discussion mentions two villages, viz., Tarallakshmī and Sāgarapaṭīmā which were the subject of the grant made by Gōvinda, a general of the Gaṅga king
Anaṅgabhīma III. The exact situation of the villages is not mentioned in the record and it is
difficult to locate them.
TEXT[6]
1 Siddham[7] Svasti [||*] Prōddhata-hētivāhi-dhvānta-dhansi[8]-dyutijyamāna-dainya-jala-
dhī(dhi)-
2 nimagna-di(dī)n-ānātha-śaraṇ-aika-taraṇēr=bhagavataḥ śrīmad-Ani[ya*]ṅkabhīma-
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[1] SII, Vol. VI, No. 1067.
[2] There are other instances of similar grants. Mr. P. B. Desai draws my attention to No. 154 of SII, Vol.,
XI (Part ii, pp. 192ff.) which registers the gift of the village of Kanakāpura in Kundūr 500 (Dharwar District) for
burning incense in the temple of Sōmanāthadēva of the Saurāshṭra vishaya (Kathiawar) by Mahāmaṇḍalēśvara
Jayakēśidēva, at the time of his marriage, under the direction of his father-in-law and overlord Chālukya Vikramāditya VI (1076-1126 A.C.). As pointed out to me by Mr. P. Acharya, the Antarudra vishaya, in which the village
granted by Sōmaladēvī was situated, is mentioned in the Chaurasi plate of the Bhauma-Kara king Śivakara II
and has been identified with the modern Antarodha Pargana in the Sadar Subdivision of the Puri District of Orissa
(Misra, Orissa under the Bhauma Kings, p. 8).
[3] There are many inscriptions in temples like those at Siṁhāchalam and Śrīkūrmam, which are big praśastis.
These were apparently not composed on the spot but were carried by the donors with the intention of engraving
them in the temples after having made the donations desired.
[4] It may be conjectured that Sōmaladēvī was a sister or daughter of the Chōḷa king Rājarāja III. But her
name (exhibiting some Kannaḍa influence) in that case may suggest that she was born of a Kannaḍa princess.
[5] Even if it may be believed that Anaṅgabhīma III was actually present at Kāñchīpuram on the occasion of
his own grant (No. 445 of 1919), it should better be explained in a different way. He might have visited the temple
as a pilgrim. Such instances are not unknown in the inscriptions of South India. Mr. M. Venkataramayya draws
my attention to SII, Vol. IV, No. 428, and No. 29 of 1908. The first of these two records registers a gift of land
made in favour of the god at Jambukēśvaram (Tiruchirappalli District) by Jākhadēvī, queen of Rāhuta Jājaladēva,
son of Bhīmadēva of the Saubhāṇa (Chauhān) kula. The other inscription is a Gāhaḍavāla record of 1110-11 A.C.,
which was found in the temple at Gaṅgaikoṇḍachōlapuram in the same district (ARSIE, 1908, Part II, p. 65).
In the present state of our knowledge, it is impossible to believe that the Chauhāns or the Gāhaḍavālas invaded
the Tamil country. The grants in question must have been made either in absentia or in the course of tours of
pilgrimage.
[6] From impressions preserved in the office of the Government Epigraphist for India at Ootacamund.
[7] Expressed by symbol.
[8] Read dhvaṁsi-.
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