Epigraphia Indica Vol 28

SR No.: 032582
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Hirananda Shastri
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India
Publication Year: 1949
Total Pages: 526
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 31 MB

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EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
(VOL. XXVIII
present Jajpur, as an important place of pilgrimage. Jajpur was thus one of the earliest tirthas in the east coast country.
The present name of the town of Jajpur seems to be a corruption of Yayitipura. It appears that the Sõmavarsis (from the tenth to the thirteenth century) who had their headquarters at Yayātinagara in Northern Orissa, built by and named after Mahāśivagupta I Yayāti, made Yayātipura or Jajpur their secondary capital after extending their power in Southern Orissa. The fact that Jajpur was probably also called Yayatinagara is suggested by the early Muslim chroniclers as they mentioned the Orissa kingdom of the Gangas, who supplanted the Somavamśīs from Southern Orissa and may have had their secondary headquarters at Jajpur, as Jäjnagar.' During the medieval period Jajpur became a great centre of Tantrik worship and of the Mothergoddess cult. Whether this was primarily due to the patronage of the Sõmavamsi kings, who were Saivas, cannot be determined. But Jajpur enjoyed a glorious position, even before the age of the Sömavamsis, during the days of the Bhauma-Karas (from the seventh to the ninth century), who had their capital at or near the site of Jajpur. Most of the charters of the BhaumaKara kings were issued from the city of Guhadēvapätaka or Guhēbvarapätaka; but in an endorsement to a charter of the Ganga king Jayavarman of Svētaka, Unmattakēsarin (simha) alias Sivakara I, who was the founder of the greatness of the family and possibly ruled about the middle of the seventh century, is said to have had his residence at Virajas, i.e., Jajpur, and it appears that Guhadēvapātaka or Guhēśvarapätaka was the name applied by the BhaumaKaras either to Virajas (Jajpur) itself or to a new city built by them in its vicinity. It is not known whether the name Guhadēvapātaka or Guhēsvarapātaka was derived from a deity or a king or from a deity named after a king. There is no evidence regarding the existertce of a king having a name or surname like Guha in the family. The dynasty is called Bhauma in earlier records but Kara in later documents. The latter name was actually the stereotyped ending of the names of the kings of the family, although, strictly speaking, it was kara in most cases (cf. the names Lakshmi-kara, Kshēman-kara, Siva-kara and Sänti-kara) but äkara in oue at least (cf. the Dame Subh-äkara). The earlier kings of the family were Buddhists while the later rulers were followers either of Saivism or of Vaishnavism.
Althongh Jajpur was certainly the residence of one of the early Bhauma-Kara kings and it is probable that all the rulers of this family had their headquarters at this place or its neighbourhood, it is rather curious that 'so long no inscription of the Bhauma-Kara dynasty came from the town. In January 1950, I visited Jajpur especially with the idea of seeing whether any record of the Bhauma-Karas could be traced. I am very glad to note that my effort did not prove entirely fruitless as I discovered an interesting lithic record (A) of the time of an early Bhauma-Kara ruler and another (B) that may be tentatively assigned to the early days of the family's rule. These two inscriptions are edited here.
A, Hamsõbvara Temple Inscription of the time of the Bhauma.Kara Dynasty.
On the 3rd of January 1950, while I was staying at the Inspection Bungalow at Jajpur, I received information about the existence of a stone inscription in the ruins of the Hamsēśvara temple from
See J. H. Q., Vol. XXII, p. 307. • Vido The Sakta Pilhas (J. R. 4.8. B., Vol. XIV), pp. 83, 45; of. also reference under Yajapura, YAgapura, Viraji, Nabhigayi, eto, in Appendix V, pp. 80-100. Jajpur is written in Oriya is rajapnya and pronounced as Jajapuru or Jajpur. .I.H. Q., Vol. XII, pp. 492-93.
Of. J. K. H. R. 8., Vol. II, p. 103 ; B. Misra, Oriser under the Bhanmu Kings. p. 87. . Misra, op. cit., pp. 4, 8, 14, eto.
• Jord., p. 25, 34, etc. The recently discovered Terundia plate of Subhakara II (son of Sivakara II from Möhindovi), dated year 100, mentions the family both sa Bhauma and Kara. This is the earlient mention of the family w Kars.