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The Mandali Rulers / 35
Queen Consorts Ganga Mahādevi-1
'Ganga Mahādevi’ is the usual name given to all the queens of the Ganga kings, as their second name, their first name being different. Ankabbarasi, queen consort of Mārasimhadeva, is also referred to as a Ganga Mahādevi. In the same fashion all the queens of the Ganga Mandalinād are mentioned as Ganga Mahādevi; only in a few instances their first name is also recorded.
Ganga Mahadevi-I was the Pattadarasi, 'the crown queen' of mahāmaņdaleśvara Bhujabala Ganga Permmāļi Barmmadeva. She had four sons - Mārasingadeva, Satya (Nanniya) Ganga, Rakkasaganga and Bhujabala Ganga-ll, respectively. She, along with her husband, four sons and a grandson, made grants of land (specified) to Pattada basadi, the crown basadi olim Mandalitirthada-basadi. It is said the Ganga Mahādevi was born in Pāņdya kula. Everyone of her four sons were renown rulers; when her first son was born, it is recorded in the inscription that his birth was like the birth of three-jewels, the ratna-trayas. Ganga Mahādevi is styled as a female bee at the lotus feet of Jinendra. Her beautiful form adorned with good qualities. In short, Ganga Mahādevi was like a kalasa, a sacred water-vessel, among women [Sh. 6. 1060; Sh. 10. 1065; Sh. 57. 1118; Sh. 97. 1112].
Kancaladevi
Kancaladevi, the crowned queen of Nanniya Ganga Permmādideva-II, had deep devotion to the Jina the victor. She was also an ardent devotee of goddess Padmāvati-Devi, the presiding deity of the Mandalinād Ganga family. She obtained a son, Hermmādideva, a Ganga-Kumāra, to succeed the throne of Mandali-Thousand, after having made a vow to the goddess Padmāvati. Pleased with the success and in fulfilment of her voluntary promise made to the deity, she gifted a tribute of five pana from the villages of the Mandali province to continue as long as sun, moon and stars.
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