Annual Reports

PERSONNEL.

  checking in situ the readings of some Pāṇḍya inscriptions under publication. He visited in all 13 villages and secured copied of 47 new inscriptions.

  The Tamil Assistant was on tour in connection with publication work from 22nd October to 15th November 1935 and visited 3 villages of the Chingle put district including Pallavaram, where he copied the portions of the long inscription of Mahēndravarman in the Pallava cave-temple (now used as a mosque) which had been covered by modern additions of brick walls, but which were now made accessible by the removal of the obstructions with the kind permission of the Trustees. He then visited Chidambaram in the South Arcot district, where he secured copies of 16 new inscriptions which had been exposed to view during the recent renovation of the temple. After finishing his work here, he commenced the epigraphical survey of the Tirukkoyilur taluk in which he visited 54 villages and copied 62 inscriptions and returned to headquarters in the first week of January 1936. He again toured in the South Kanara and Coimbatore districts from 9th to 26th March 1936 and visited 6 villages and copied 12 inscriptions.

  The Reader stared on tour on 16th October 1935 and after visiting 5 villages in the Kistna and West Godavari districts, he continued the epigraphical survey of the Vinukonda taluk of the Guntur district, which had been left over in the previous year. He completed the survey of the taluk on 27th November after inspecting 72 villages and then visited 23 villages in the Kurnool and Cuddapah districts and returned to headquarters on the 3rd January 1936 with a total collection of 114 inscriptions. These contain among others some important records of the early dynasties, such as the Chōlas, Bāṇas and the Rāshṭrakūṭas.

  4. The Telugu Assistant was on tour in the Bombay-Karnatak from 24th October 1935 to 2nd March 1936. During the three weeks at the beginning of his tour twenty photographs were taken of inscribed slabs and other interest- ing objects under his guidance in 7 places of the Ron, Gadag and Haveri taluks of the Dharwar district. During the remaining period he visited 6 selected places in the Miraj State and the Ranebennur taluk commenced in the previous year, and the whole of the Bijapur taluk, and secured a total collec tion of 146 inscriptions. Among the inscriptions copied by him may be mentioned as important (1) a record of the 7th century A.D. from the Ranebennur taluk which belongs to the Western Chāḷukya king Satyāśraya (Pulakēśin II), (2) an inscription at Siḍēnūr belonging to the Rāshṭrakūṭa king Dhōrapparasa (Dhruva I) mentioning his subordinate Mārakkarasa as governing Banavāsi-nāḍu and (3) a record of Śubhatuṅga furnishing for him the early date Śaka 800. Besides these, were examined a number of herostones in the Hangal taluk of the Dharwar district, all belonging to other dynasties that followed them.

WORK DONE DURING THE YEAR. Collection.

   5. During the year 193 villages were visited in the Madras Presidency, or which 88 yielded a total collection of 338 inscriptions. In the Bombay- Karnatak 75 villages were inspected, of which 16 villages yielded a collection of 146 inscriptions. 14 copper-plate grants were also examined and 97 photo- graphs of historical and sculptured interest were taken.

   6. The Annual Report on South Indian Epigraphy for 1931-32 was finally issued from the Press in September 1935. The type-script of the Annual Report for 1932-33 which was received back from the Government Epigraphist after the approval of the Director-General of Archӕology by the end of July 1935 was sent to the Press early in August 1935. The first proof of this Report was received in batches in December 1935 and it was revised and return ed to the Press in March 1936.