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Pallva
Inscriptions
Nos.26
to 50
No. 26.
(A. R. No. 368 of
1908).
Vayalur, Chingleput Taluk,
Chingleput District.
On a pillar in the gopura of the
Vyaghrapurisvara Temple.
This inscription is engraved in
florid Pallava-Grantha characters in the form of a helix on a cubical pillar
of the Pallava type, supporting the gopura in front of the temple. The pillar seems to have belonged to some
other temple in the vicinity. Of
Pallava structural monuments in the Chingleput district, only those at Mahabalipuram
and Conjeeveram are known. The pillars
at Vayalur and Tirupporur[1]
suggest the existence of other such monuments in the district.
The present record purports to
give the genealogy of Pallava kings from Brahma down, through fifty-four
generations, to king Rajasimha. The
last verse of the inscription suggests that it was intended to perpetuate the
accession of Rajasimha (Narasimha II) to the throne.
Published in Epigraphia Indica,
Vol. XVIII, pages 150 and 151.
No. 27.
(A. R. No. 76 of
1909).
Tirupporur, Chingleput taluk,
Chingleput District.
On two pillars in the mandapa in
front of the Devayanaiyamman shrine in the Kandasvamin temple.
This record engraved in Pallava-Grantha characters on two detached pillars,
gives the birudas of a Pallava king. From the florid variety of the alphabet[2]
used and from the occurrence of the titles Atyantakama, Atiranachanda,
etc., the king may be identified with Narasimha II whose identical birudas
are also found engraved in the Kailasanatha temple at Conjeeveram which is
definitely known to have been constructed by him. As Tirupporur is close to Mahabalipuram, it is possible that the
pillars belonged to a structural temple of the time of Narasimha II built
somewhere in this locality and may have been fixed up in their present position
in the Kandasvamin temple at a later date.
No. 28.
(A. R. No. 566 of
1912).
Mahabalipuram, Chingleput Taluk,
Chingleput District.
On the Plinths of two Balipithas excavated in the courtyard of the shore temple.
This is a damaged record
consisting of six Sanskrit verses in praise of the Pallava king Rajasimha
or Narendrasimha Atyantakama who is given a number of epithets which
help to identify him with Narasimha II. The Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram and the Talapurisvara temple at
Panamalai are representative of the type of architecture that prevailed in the
time of Narasimha.
Published in Epigraphia Indica,
Vol. XIX, pages 107 and 108.
No. 29.
(A. R. No. 616 of 1915).
Panamalai, Villupuram Taluk, South
Arcot District.
On the North, West and South bases
of the Talapurisvara temple on the hill.
This incomplete record in florid Pallava-Grantha
characters gives the prasasti of king Rajasimha, son of Ekamalla i.e.,
Paramesvara I. From the existence of
this inscription and of another consisting of a single Sanskrit verse which is
identical with the last verse of Kailasanatha inscription of Rajasimha (South
Indian Inscriptions, Vol. I, No. 24) and with the 3rd verse of
the Shore Temple inscription of the same king at Mahabalipuram (No. 28 above),
it may be presumed that the temple of Talapurisvara was constructed during his
reign. A photo-litho of this record is
given in the Epigraphical Report for 1916, facing page 114.
Published in Epigraphia Indica,
Vol. XIX, pages 113 and 114[3].
No. 30.
(A. R. No. 618 of
1915).
On the side of a cavern in the
same hill.
This is a single Sanskrit verse,
which is identical with the last verse of Rajasimhaâs inscription[4]
round the Rajasimhesvara shrine in the Kailasanatha temple at Conjeeveram. It is a benedictory verse wishing long rule
for Rajasimha, who has the birudas : Ranajaya, Sribhara,
Chitrakarmuka, Ekavira, and Sivachudamani. A facsimile of the inscription is given on plate I facing page
112 in the Epigraphical Report for 1916.
Published in South Indian
Inscriptions, Vol. I, No. 31, p. 24.
MAHENDRAVARMAN III.
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No. 31.
(A. R. No. 1 of
1932-33).
Conjeeveram, Conjeveram Taluk,
Chingleput District.
On a slab fixed in the northern
end of the Okkapirandankulam Street.
This is a label inscription[5]
in Pallava-Grantha script engraved on the lateral face of a stray
granite slab fixed at the northern entrance into the Okkapirandankulam
Street. From general appearance, the
slab seems to have formed the lintel of a structural temple in the village. The inscription reads âSri-Mahendravarmmesvaragrihamâ. A similar label is also found in the same
village in the Kailasanatha temple, engraved on the two wing-stones of the
steps leading to the Mahendravarmesvara shrine, which is stated to have been
built by Mahendravarman III (S.I.I. Vol. I. p. 23). The original location of this slab may be
traced to this shrine where the present lintel appears to be a later
substitution or to some other shrine not far from its present position.[6]
NANDIVARMAN II.
No. 32.
(A. R. No. 537 of 1905).
Tiruvellarai, Lalgudi Taluk,
Trichinopoly District.
On the third pillar in the
rock-cut cave in the Pundarikaksha-Perumal Temple
This inscription which is highly
damaged, is dated in the 10th year of Nandivarman. It mentions a certain Visayanallula[n],
who may be identified with the person of the same name noticed as the elder
brother of Kamban Araiyan, the builder of the well at Tiruvellarai in the 4th
year of Dantivarman.[7] He also figures as the ajnapti of
the Pattattalamangalam grant of Nandivarman II[8]. (No.37 below). Hence Nandivarman of the present record may be identified with
Nandivarman II Pallavamalla.
No. 33.
(A. R. No. 10 of
1911-12).
Kasakudi plates of Nandivarman :
22nd year
This copper-plate charter in
Grantha and Tamil characters was found at Kasakudi near Karaikal in French
India. It is dated in the 22nd
year of Nandivarman II, also known as Pallavamall,
Kshatriyamalla, Nayadhira, and Sridhara, and records a gift made by
the king, at the request of his minister Brahmasriraja, of the village
Kodukolli, which was later, surnamed as Ekadhiramangalam[9],
to a Brahmana named Jyeshtapada-Somayajin of the Bharadvaja-gotra residing at
Puniya in Tondaka-rashtra.
Published in South Indian
Inscriptions, Vol. II. pp. 342 ff.
No. 34.
(A. R. No. 109 of
1932-33).
Paiyanur, Chingleput taluk and
District.
On a rock near the dilapidated
temple of Ettisvara.
This record is dated in the 37th
year of Vijaya-Nandivikramavarman who, from the palaeography of the
inscription and the high regnal year quoted in it, may be identified with
Pallavamalla. It registers an agreement
made by the gana of Payinur to remove annually the silt from the big
tank of the village for the interest on 6,400 kadi of paddy received by
them by the standard measure por-kal, from Nagan, a merchant of Ulakkuni
residing at Mamallapuram. The document is signed by Settanandi,
evidently a member of the gana. The village Paiyanur is very close to Mahabalipuram and the earliest
epigraphical reference to âMamallapuramâ is to be found in the present
inscription.
It may be pointed out that the
epithets âVijayaâ and âVikramavarmanâ added to his name by Nandivarman, were
invariably adopted by his successors.[10]
No. 35.
(A. R. No. 154 of
1921).
Kulidikki, Guidyattam Taluk, North
Arcot District.
On a stone set up near the river.
This inscription is dated in the 52nd
year of Vijaya-Nandivarman. It records the death of Gangadiyaraiyar Kannadu Perungangar, (the chief) of Karkattur, who at the
instance of his uncle (mamadi), the Bana chief, fought on the occasion
of the Pallava invasion against Perumanadigal (i.e. the Western Ganga
king), when (the fortress of ) Penkulikkottai was destroyed. From the high regnal year quoted in the
inscription, the king may be identified with Nandivarman Pallavamalla.
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Published in Epigraphia Indica,
Vol. XXII, p. 110.
No. 36.
(C. P. No. 7 of 1911-12).
Tandantottam plates of
Nandivikramavarman: 58th year.
This is an incomplete copperplate
record from Tandantottam near Kumbhakonam in the Tanjore district, dated
in the 58th year of Nandivarman (II). It is engraved in Grantha and Tamil
characters and registers the gift of the village Dayamukhaangalam, named
after the donor Dayamukha, to 308 learned Brahmans with additional provision
for worship in the Siva and Vishnu temples of the village and for reciting the Mahabharata
in the temple hall. The prasasti
in the grant was drawn up by Paramesvara surnamed Uttara-karanika. The seal of this record is published
on plate VII for the first time now.
Published in South Indian
Inscriptions, Vol. II, pp. 517 ff.
No. 37.
(C. P. No. 5 of 1922-23).
Pattattalmangalam grant of
Nandivarman: 61st year.
Like the previous record, this is
also engraved in Grantha and Tamil characters. It is dated in the 61st year of Vijaya-Nandivikramavarman
and registers a grant of 16 veli of land, which, together with the 24 veli
granted previously, was constituted into a village under the name Pattattalmangalam
and given to a number of Brahmanas at the instance of Mangala-Nadalvan,
an officer of the king. The ajnapti
of the grant viz., Vijayanallulan of Alappakkam is identical with
the person of the same name figuring in an inscription of Nandivarman at
Tiruvellarai[11] in the
Trichinopoly district. The engraver of
the grant was Sri-Dandi, son of Videlvidugu Pallavap-peruntachchan of
Aimpanaichcheri in Kachchippedu.
Published in Epigraphia Indica, Vol. XVIII, pp. 120 ff.
No. 38.
(A. R. No. 666 of 1922).
Mahabalipuram, Chingleput taluk,
Chingleput District.
On two sides of a slab lying in
the courtyard of the Varaha cave-temple.
This inscription is dated in the 65th
year of Nandibodhuvarman (Nandippottavarman) who belonged to the
Pallava-vamsa. It registers a gift of
pasture land by Idaivalanjan Kandan, one of the Nagarattar of Mamallapuram, after purchasing it from Kon-Kandan, son of Ilan Paduvunar, the
headman of Kunrattur in Amur-kottam. The villages of Kunrattur and Amur are near Mahabalipuram in Chingleput
district.
The regnal year given in this
record is the highest known date for Nandivarman (II).
Published in the Memoir of the Archaeological Survey of
India, No. 26, pp. 10-11.
DANTIVARMAN
No. 39.
(A. R. No. 256 of
1908).
Vayalur, Chingleput Taluk,
Chingleput District.
On a slab built into the floor of
the mandapa in front of the central shrine in the vanadhisvara temple.
This inscription records a gift of
3 kadi (of paddy) by five
individuals for offerings and a lamp in the temple of Bhatara at Vayalaikka, in
the 2nd year of Vijaya-Dantivikramavarman.
No. 40.
(A. R. No. 541 of
1905).
Tiruvellarai, Lalgudi Taluk,
Trichinopoly District.
On the margin of a well called
âNalumulaikkeniâ.
This inscription records the
construction of a well called Marppidugu[12]-Perunkinaru
at Tennur in Tiruvellarai by Kamban Araiyan, the younger brother
of Visayanallulan of Alambakkam, in the 4th year of Dantivarman. The well is designed in the for of a svastika and it is reached
by a flight of steps from each of the four directions.
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Published in Epigraphia Indica,
Vol. XI, p. 157.
No. 41.
(A. R. No. 348 of
1914).
Kunnandarkoyil, Pudukkottai State.
At the north end of the rock-cut
cave of the Parvatagirisvara temple.
This is dated in the 5th
year of Vijaya-Dantipottaraiyar and records the construction of a
tank called â Vali-eri â by Vali-Vadugan alias Kalimurkka-Ilavaraiyan, a servant of Marppiduvinar alias Peradi-Araiyar.
Published[13]
in the âInscriptions (Texts) of the Pudukkotttai State,â
No. 17.
No. 42.
(A. R. No. 283 of
1916).
Tondur, Gingee Taluk, South Arcot
District.
On a Boulder in a field near the
âVinnamparai-rockâ.
This inscription[14]
is dated in the 6th year of Vijaya-Dantivikramavarman and it registers a gift of 16 kalanju
of gold by Vinnakovaraiyar, probably a chieftain of the locality, to
provide, from th interest on the amount, offerings to the goddess
Erruk-Kunranar-Bhattari for the merit of Udaradi and Nambi â¦â¦â¦ who fell in
an encounter. The food offered to the god was used for feeding pilgrims and the
gold endowed was received by the assembly of Aruvagur in Singapura-nadu. Certain specified members of the Varigam
were nominated to see that the assembly maintained this charity properly. The village Aruvagur, which is stated to
have been situated to the east of the road, may be identified with Arugavur in
the Gingee taluk.
No. 43.
(A. R. No. 262 of
1904).
Tiruchchanur, Chandragiri Taluk,
Chittoor District.
On a Detached stone built into the
floor at the entrance into the Padmavati Amman temple.
This record registers a gift of 30 kalanju of gold by Solanar Ulagaperumanar of Sola-nadu for
burning a perpetual lamp before the god Tiruvilankoyil Perumanadigal set up in
the temple of Tiruvengadattu-Perumanadigal at Tiruchchoginur in Kudavur-nadu, a
subdivision of Tiruvengada-kottam, in the 51st year of Vijaya-Dantivikramavarman. Ulagaperumanar mentioned in the inscription
was evidently a Chola chief ruling Sola-nadu under the overlordship of the
Pallavas. A different Chola chief is
mentioned in No. 49 below.
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No. 44.
(A. R. No. 89 of
1921).
Pillaipalayam, Conjeeveram Taluk,
Chingleput District.
On a slab built into the floor at
the entrance into the Tirumerrali temple.
This is a fragmentary record of Dantivikramavarman. It mentions a certain [Ka]duvetti-Muttaraiyan
at whose request an endowment of 4 patti of land was made to the old temple
of Vishnu called Tirumerrali at Iraiyancheri and to a matha, probably
attached to it.
Reference to a
Kaduvetti-Muttarasan who made a raid on Koyattur in the reign of the Bana king
Vijayaditya Virachulamani Prabhumeru is noticed in a record from Punganur (No.
542 of 1906). This chief was probably
identical with the Kaduvetti-Muttaraiyan mentioned in the present inscription
as he lived about this period.
Nandivarman III.
No. 45.
(A. R. No. 475 of 1925).
Pallikonda, Vellore taluk, North
Arcot District.
On a pillar in the Mandapa in
front of the central shrine in the Naganathesvara temple.
This is dated in the 2nd
year of Nandippottaraiyar and records the construction of the mukha-mandapa
by Selvavanarayan, son of Amani-Gangaraiyar, who was ruling over Vittur. It may be noted that Pallikonda was called
Vichchur[15] in ancient
times.
Palaeographically, the present
record may be attributed to the reign of Nandivarman III. In a later record viz., of the 10th
year of the Chola Parakesarivarman from Tiruchchatturai in the Tanjore
district, figures a chief of Pangalanadu named Bhuvani-Gangaraiyan.[16] Since Pallikonda was in Pangala-nadu, Amani
(Avani) Gangaraiyar of the present inscription may have been an earlier member
of the family of Pangala-nadu chiefs.
No. 46.
(A. R. No. 347 of
1914).
Kunnandarkoyil, Pudukkottai State.
At the south end of the rock-cut
shrine in the Parvatagirisvara temple.
This inscription dated in the 3rd
year of Nandippottaraiyar may be assigned to Nandivarman III. It registers a gift of 200 nali of
rice for feeding 100 persons on the day of Tiruvadirai, by Ganavatiman alias
Pagaichchandira Visaiaraiyan of Vaduvur in Mipulai-nadu. This inscription indicates that the limits
of the Pallava Empire still continued to extend as far south as the
Pudukkottiai State.
No. 47.
(A. R. No. 158 of
1919).
Kiliyanur, Tinivanam Taluk, South
Arcot District.
On the south wall of the central
shrine in the Vaikunthavasa-Perumal temple.
This inscription is dated in the 3rd
year of Vijaya-Nandivikramavarman who may be identified with
Nandivarman III. It states that a
resident of the village Tigaittiral built the temple of Tigaittiral Vishnugriha
at Kilinelur in Oyma-nadu and gave 300 sheep for maintaining a sacred lamp and
2 pieces of land (seru) made tax-free, for providing offerings to the
god. In later inscriptions the god is
called Virrirunda-Perumal (A.R. Nos.163 and 168 of 1919).
No. 48.
(A. R. Nos. 88 of 1910 and 529 of 1905).
Tiruvellarai, Lalgudi Taluk,
Trichinopoly District.
On a rock in front of the
Jambunathasvamin Temple.
This inscription was partially
copied in 1905 and then completely in 1910 after removing a wall obstructing a
portion of the record. The middle
portion of the inscription is damaged being chiseled away right through to
construct a drain. It appears to be
dated in the 6th year of Pallava-Maharaja alias Danti-Nandivarman of the
Bhara[dvaja-gotra] and Brahmakshatra family. The kingâs name, in the form given here, implies that Nandivarman
was the son of Dantivarman. The
inscription seems to record the praise of a certain Sellikkoman Mallavan
who is described as the nephew of Parasiraman and the uncle of Marpidugu
Ilangovelan Sattan. The record is
stated to have ben composed by a certain Perungavidi Sadaiyanpalli.
Pullis are
marked in the record in some cases.
No. 49.
(C. P. No. 24 of 1910-11).
Velurpalaiyam Plates of
Nandivarman III: 6th year.
This copper-plate record issued in
the 6th year of Nandivarman (III) registers a gift of the village Srikattuppalli, to
the Siva temple built by Yajnabhatta, at the request of Chola-Maharaja
Kumarankusa, for the expenses of daily worship and for a feeding
house. This Chola-Maharaja and
Vijayalaya, the founders of the revived Chola line at Tanjore are taken to have
belonged to one and the same family. This is doubtful and he should probably have belonged to the family of
Renandu Cholas[17].
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Published in South Indian
Inscriptions, Vol. II, pp. 507-510.
No. 50.
(A. R. No. 406 of 1905).
Kaverippakkam, Arkonam Taluk,
North Arcot district.
At the entrance into the gopura of
the Muktisvara temple.
This is a fragmentary inscription
of Nandivarman dated in his 13th year. It registers a gift of five kalanju
of gold, by the daughter-in-law (marumagal) of Ayyakki Pangala-adigal,
who was probably a chief of Pangala-nadu, which comprised a portion of the
present North Arcot district.
See also Indian Antiquary, Vol.
XLVIII, pp. 231 ff.
See also An Rep. On S.I. Epy. For 1932-33, p. 54.
[The inscription was first brought to my
notice by the late Dr. C. Meenakshi, M.A., Ph. D. â Ed.,]
No. 40 below ; published in
Ep. Ind. Vol. XVIII, pp. 115 ff.
Ekadhira-chaturvedimangalam referred to in a
record of Rajaraja I (A.R. No. 370 of 1902) is
probably another village named after Ekadhira i.e., Pallavamalla.
Of. Also Nayadhiramangalam (S.I.I. Vol. II, p. 338).
âVijayaâ and Vikramaâas prefix and
suffix of Pallava names occur in earier records, as in the names like
Vijya-Buddhavarman and Mahendra-vikramavarman.
Marpidugu was also the surname of the Telugu-Chola king Punyakumara (Ep.
Rep. For 1936, p. 56.)
See also Jl. Of S. I. Association, July 1911,
p. 36.
A.R. No. 456 of 1925. The villge Tiruvanakkoyil in the Chingleput
district was also known as Vittur (A.R.
Nos. 284-286 of 1910).
Ep. Rep. For 1930-31, para 8.
Balliya-Chola of the family of Karikala bore
the title Kumarankusa (Jl.
Ind. Hist. Vol. XV. P. 258)
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