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V. V. MIRASHI
The Silāhāras of Kolhapur not only mention with pride that they had obtained a gracious boon from the goddess Mahālakṣmi but are known to have made liberal grants for her worship and naivedya. They built temples of other gods also. Thus, Gaṇḍarāditya built a temple of Siva, together with those of the gods of other religions to be noticed later, at the village of Irukuḍī (modern Rukaḍi, near Kolhapur) and made grants of land for their worship.1 He also donated land for the temple of the god Kheḍāditya (evidently a form of the Sun) at Brahmapurí, a suburb of Kolhapur.2 At the request of his minister Maillapayya who had repaired the temple, adding two more shrines of Brahmā and Visņu to it. King Vijayaditya is said to have built the temple of Koppeśvara, a few miles from Sirol.3 King Bhoja II, the last known member of this branch of the Silāhāras, made grants of land for the naivedya of the goddess Mahalakṣmī and also for the worship of the god Uma-Maheśvara installed in a matha in the court-yard of her temple. It is needless to multiply instances of patronage to Puranic Hinduism by the Śilāhāras of Kolhapur as they were themselves followers of that religion.
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It is, however, noteworthy that they extended their patronage to other religions also which were flourishing in their kingdom. Thus, the aforementioned king Gandaraditya, when he built a temple of Siva at Irukuḍī, erected also similar shrines of the Buddha and Arhat (Jina) in the neighbourhood and made similar grants for their worship.5 This is one of the few references to the flourishing of Buddhism in that age.
But references to the flourishing of Jainism are many more. We have already referred to the erection of a shrine of Arhat
1. JB B.R.A.S. Vol. XIII (Old Series), pp. 1 f.
2.
Ep. Ind., Vol. XXIII, pp. 28 f.
3.
K. G. Kundangar, Inscriptions from Northern Karnataka and the Kolhapur State, p. 14.
Ep. Ind., Vol. XXIX, pp. 13 f.
J.B.B.R.A.S., Vol. XIII (Old Series), pp. 1 f.
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4.
5.
Jain Education International
www.jainelibrary.org
