Tamil Nadu
Sittannavasal Inscription
Inscriptions were found at Jain caves of Sittannavasal in Pudukottai district. These inscriptions contained Kannada words like Gavudi, hosilu, tenku etc. The date of these inscriptions is second century BC according to Iravatham Mahadevan, Mostly these sites are dated to pallava medieval period 7th century AD. Hence occurrence of these Kannada words in distant Pudukottai is significant.
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Kanchi Inscription of Vikramaditya
Kannada Inscription in Kannada Script undated it records that after the conquest of Kanchi, Vikramaditya (II) Satyasraya did not confiscate the property of Rajasimhesvara temple but returned it to the God. This edict was written by Anivarita Punyavallabha, under the authority of Vallabhadurjaya.
Melpadi Inscripton of Rastrakuta Krishna III
Two inscriptions belonging to the reign of the Rashtrakuta King, Krishna III, were found at Vallimalai village in Vellore district of Tamil Nadu.
Vallimalai is situated close to Melpadi village, which served as the military encampment of the king during the middle of the 10th century C.E. It is about 50 km from Takkolam, where the king defeated the Chola prince Rajaditya, son of Parantaka Chola I, in a battle in 949 C.E.
The inscriptions — one in Tamil and the other in Kannada — were discovered by archaeologist K. Kumar while visiting Vallimalai two months ago. The Tamil inscription came to light when workers dug up a trench.
The inscriptions record that Krishna III, while camping at Melpadi (“Melpaadikku vanthirunthu,” as mentioned in the Tamil inscription) gifted Mahendrapadi as “jivitham,” after auditing the village accounts and exempting it from all imposts, to “Disai-idang Gaganadeva Appaiyan,” an immigrant from Karanjikheta area in the Krishna valley.
The Kannada inscription says the endowment was made in the presence of Krishna III's feudatories, Rattas and Bitti Raja, who were staying at Melpadi. Krishna III was eulogised as Akalavarsha Deva, Prithvi Vallabha, Maha Rajathiraja, Parameshvara, Parama Bhattaraka and Chaleka Nallathan, indicating that he was yet to accomplish his conquests of Kancheepuram and Thanjavur as recorded in the later-day inscriptions issued by him, according to Dr. Kumar.
The importance of these inscriptions, which are Krishna III's two earliest stone inscriptions discovered so far, mention his presence at Melpadi, a fact otherwise known only through copper plate charters, says Dr. Kumar.
The Karhad copper plates in Kannada from Maharashtra talk about his distribution of the spoils of war among his men at his military camp at Melpadi after defeating Rajaditya in Takkolam.
A small portion of the inscriptions is missing. They contain the image of Goddess Gajalakshmi at the top.
A Herostone inscription was discovered by Madhav N Katti in Kalashetra Campus, Adyar in Madras. The slab Measuring 2.5m in height, 1m in width and 10mm in thickness. The hero in whose memory the stone was set up is portrayed standing with bow in his left hand and dagger tied to waist in right hand . The Face wearing mustache and beard with majestic appearance. The Hair is tied in a knot. The quiver with arrows tied to his right shoulder from behind. The figure appears to be very dynamic and strong person. The Enemy arrows are seen piercing his body, head and left arm etc. Seven more persons are in the panel along with hero. At the bottom an animal OX is shown with mouth open as if crying on the death of its master. In between the legs is a kneeling figure with downcast face. The figure may be his wife who committed sati. This sculpture has been assigned to 9th-10th century AD. The Inscription contains three lines in Kannada in
Kannada Script. It states
Svasti[]Sri yara Sandeya-settiya ma[gan]
kannada[m]ba[]iya poriyamgadol[] tu[ru]go[]
satta palarode-ganda Koattali mutti
It states yara, son of Sandeyasetti, described as Palarodeganda died in a cattle-raid at Poriyamgadu, which was situated in Kannadamballi, after reaching kottali(Kottali Mutti). The fight must have taken place in paoriyamgadu area within he jurisidiction of Kannadamballi and the hero must have continued his fight till he reached Kottali, where he must have collapsed after much resistance. Kannadampalli is today identified as Kannada halli in Krishnagiri taluk, Dharmapuri district.
Ten memorial stones, six of them with Kannada inscriptions, have been discovered at near the hills close to Kondaharahalli village, six km west of Bommidi in Dharmapuri district, Tamil Nadu. All the stones have identical sculptural representations and belong to the 10th century AD.
The Kondaharahalli stones were discovered a few months ago by R. Ramesh, assistant archaeologist, Archaeological Survey of India (Chennai Circle) following information he received from C. Chandrasekar, lecturer, Government Arts and Science College, Dharmapuri. The first stone has a carving of a man holding a bow and a sword. He is shown with arrows piercing his neck and abdomen. On his left, four animals are portrayed, which represent a cattle raid. Above the hero, there is a small sculptural representation that shows him in a seated position with two apsaras on either side. There are three horse riders at the foot of the hero. One of them has an umbrella above his head, denoting that he is a chieftain or a leader, explained Dr. Rajan. An eight-line inscription is found engraved in Kannada characters and refers to a hero called Macayya, son of Hocayya, who (Macayya) had a title called Sarasatti-karakandarpa. He died in a cattle raid that took place when Sabhatukadeva, son of Byaliciradeva, who belonged to the Pallava line and bore titles such as ‘Pallava-kula-tilaka', ‘Sri Piruthuvi-vallabha', ‘Kanchipura-paramesvara', ‘Sri Manipathi-raja' and ‘Jagadeka-malla', was ruling the region.
Professor Rajaram Hegde of Kuvempu University, Shimoga, Nagarjuna, Deputy Superintending Archaeologist, ASI and Sathyabhama Badhreenath, Superintending Archaeologist, ASI, read the Kannada inscriptions.
Avinashi Temple Inscription in Coimbatore
Avinashi Appar or Avinashi Easwarar temple is located in Avinashi near Tirupur in Coimbatore District. Around the basement of the temple, there are inscriptions in Kannada of which three relate to Vira Balla III or Balla III (1291-1343 A.D.), the penultimate Hoysala king of Dwarasamudra. He held a fest called ‘Kakuthrayan Sandhi’ for Avinashiappar and for the expenses of which he donated Thenpalli village through Perumal Danayakan, feudatory of Balla III.
This List will grow...
Sittannavasal Inscription
Inscriptions were found at Jain caves of Sittannavasal in Pudukottai district. These inscriptions contained Kannada words like Gavudi, hosilu, tenku etc. The date of these inscriptions is second century BC according to Iravatham Mahadevan, Mostly these sites are dated to pallava medieval period 7th century AD. Hence occurrence of these Kannada words in distant Pudukottai is significant.
*****
Kanchi Inscription of Vikramaditya
Kannada Inscription in Kannada Script undated it records that after the conquest of Kanchi, Vikramaditya (II) Satyasraya did not confiscate the property of Rajasimhesvara temple but returned it to the God. This edict was written by Anivarita Punyavallabha, under the authority of Vallabhadurjaya.
*****
Two inscriptions belonging to the reign of the Rashtrakuta King, Krishna III, were found at Vallimalai village in Vellore district of Tamil Nadu.
Vallimalai is situated close to Melpadi village, which served as the military encampment of the king during the middle of the 10th century C.E. It is about 50 km from Takkolam, where the king defeated the Chola prince Rajaditya, son of Parantaka Chola I, in a battle in 949 C.E.
The inscriptions — one in Tamil and the other in Kannada — were discovered by archaeologist K. Kumar while visiting Vallimalai two months ago. The Tamil inscription came to light when workers dug up a trench.
The inscriptions record that Krishna III, while camping at Melpadi (“Melpaadikku vanthirunthu,” as mentioned in the Tamil inscription) gifted Mahendrapadi as “jivitham,” after auditing the village accounts and exempting it from all imposts, to “Disai-idang Gaganadeva Appaiyan,” an immigrant from Karanjikheta area in the Krishna valley.
The Kannada inscription says the endowment was made in the presence of Krishna III's feudatories, Rattas and Bitti Raja, who were staying at Melpadi. Krishna III was eulogised as Akalavarsha Deva, Prithvi Vallabha, Maha Rajathiraja, Parameshvara, Parama Bhattaraka and Chaleka Nallathan, indicating that he was yet to accomplish his conquests of Kancheepuram and Thanjavur as recorded in the later-day inscriptions issued by him, according to Dr. Kumar.
The importance of these inscriptions, which are Krishna III's two earliest stone inscriptions discovered so far, mention his presence at Melpadi, a fact otherwise known only through copper plate charters, says Dr. Kumar.
The Karhad copper plates in Kannada from Maharashtra talk about his distribution of the spoils of war among his men at his military camp at Melpadi after defeating Rajaditya in Takkolam.
A small portion of the inscriptions is missing. They contain the image of Goddess Gajalakshmi at the top.
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Madras Kannada Herostone Inscription
Kodumbalur Inscription of Irukkuvelir Chiefs
There are Kannada inscriptions belonging to 10th century CE at Kodumbalur in Pudukkottai District, which was the headquarters of the Irukkuvelir Chiefs. This shows that the Irukkuvelir chiefs had traditional connections with Karnataka.
There are Kannada inscriptions belonging to 10th century CE at Kodumbalur in Pudukkottai District, which was the headquarters of the Irukkuvelir Chiefs. This shows that the Irukkuvelir chiefs had traditional connections with Karnataka.
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A Herostone inscription was discovered by Madhav N Katti in Kalashetra Campus, Adyar in Madras. The slab Measuring 2.5m in height, 1m in width and 10mm in thickness. The hero in whose memory the stone was set up is portrayed standing with bow in his left hand and dagger tied to waist in right hand . The Face wearing mustache and beard with majestic appearance. The Hair is tied in a knot. The quiver with arrows tied to his right shoulder from behind. The figure appears to be very dynamic and strong person. The Enemy arrows are seen piercing his body, head and left arm etc. Seven more persons are in the panel along with hero. At the bottom an animal OX is shown with mouth open as if crying on the death of its master. In between the legs is a kneeling figure with downcast face. The figure may be his wife who committed sati. This sculpture has been assigned to 9th-10th century AD. The Inscription contains three lines in Kannada in
Kannada Script. It states
Svasti[]Sri yara Sandeya-settiya ma[gan]
kannada[m]ba[]iya poriyamgadol[] tu[ru]go[]
satta palarode-ganda Koattali mutti
It states yara, son of Sandeyasetti, described as Palarodeganda died in a cattle-raid at Poriyamgadu, which was situated in Kannadamballi, after reaching kottali(Kottali Mutti). The fight must have taken place in paoriyamgadu area within he jurisidiction of Kannadamballi and the hero must have continued his fight till he reached Kottali, where he must have collapsed after much resistance. Kannadampalli is today identified as Kannada halli in Krishnagiri taluk, Dharmapuri district.
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Hero-stone Inscriptions in Kondaharahalli Ten memorial stones, six of them with Kannada inscriptions, have been discovered at near the hills close to Kondaharahalli village, six km west of Bommidi in Dharmapuri district, Tamil Nadu. All the stones have identical sculptural representations and belong to the 10th century AD.
The Kondaharahalli stones were discovered a few months ago by R. Ramesh, assistant archaeologist, Archaeological Survey of India (Chennai Circle) following information he received from C. Chandrasekar, lecturer, Government Arts and Science College, Dharmapuri. The first stone has a carving of a man holding a bow and a sword. He is shown with arrows piercing his neck and abdomen. On his left, four animals are portrayed, which represent a cattle raid. Above the hero, there is a small sculptural representation that shows him in a seated position with two apsaras on either side. There are three horse riders at the foot of the hero. One of them has an umbrella above his head, denoting that he is a chieftain or a leader, explained Dr. Rajan. An eight-line inscription is found engraved in Kannada characters and refers to a hero called Macayya, son of Hocayya, who (Macayya) had a title called Sarasatti-karakandarpa. He died in a cattle raid that took place when Sabhatukadeva, son of Byaliciradeva, who belonged to the Pallava line and bore titles such as ‘Pallava-kula-tilaka', ‘Sri Piruthuvi-vallabha', ‘Kanchipura-paramesvara', ‘Sri Manipathi-raja' and ‘Jagadeka-malla', was ruling the region.
Professor Rajaram Hegde of Kuvempu University, Shimoga, Nagarjuna, Deputy Superintending Archaeologist, ASI and Sathyabhama Badhreenath, Superintending Archaeologist, ASI, read the Kannada inscriptions.
******
Avinashi Temple Inscription in Coimbatore
Avinashi Appar or Avinashi Easwarar temple is located in Avinashi near Tirupur in Coimbatore District. Around the basement of the temple, there are inscriptions in Kannada of which three relate to Vira Balla III or Balla III (1291-1343 A.D.), the penultimate Hoysala king of Dwarasamudra. He held a fest called ‘Kakuthrayan Sandhi’ for Avinashiappar and for the expenses of which he donated Thenpalli village through Perumal Danayakan, feudatory of Balla III.
This List will grow...
