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KONGUNIVARMA AND OTHER
GANGA HEROES, "Kongunitarma obtained great power by favour of the doctrine of Arhat bhattaraka and by favour of Simhanandyacarya he obtained strength of arm and walcur."
-The Kudlur Plates. King Kongunivarma / was the founder of the great ruling dynasty of South India called the Gangas, which as a family of heroic Ksairiyas have enjoyed a çoad name and great antiquity. Prior to their advent in the Souch, the Gangas ruled in northern India in the Gangetie valley and belonged to the Iksavaku race of the Kansagana Gotra. Somewhere in the second century A. D. they branched off in a southcily direction. Didiga and Madhava, two princes of the Ganga family came to the town of Perur in South India, where they met with the Jaina Acarya Simhanandi. Both the bro:hers bowed before the ç:ca: tcache, who gave them instructions in the Sya. drada docrine and obtained ic: them a boon from the goddess Padmavati, confirmed by the gift of a sword and the promise of a kingdom. I is recorded in the Siddhesvara Temple inscription that "Madhava, he toneared one, uttcred a g:ea: shows and struck
his sword a store pila: ith all his might when i: 8:00h a crackling noise. Wha: canno: brave men
