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No. 15.] CHANDRAVATI PLATES OF CHANDRA-DEVA: V. S. 1150 AND 1156. 197
PLATE OF VIKRAMA-SAMVAT 1158.
This document is inscribed on one plate only and comprises twenty-four lines of writing. The inscription begins with the remark that this grant was made after a munificent gift of gold and other valuables equal to the king's weight (tulā-purusha) and a thousand cows before the beautiful image of the illustrious Adi-kēšava. After the usual genealogical information the inscription goes on to record that the Parama-bhattaraka Mahārāj-adhiraja Param-ēgvara Parama-mahētvara Srimach-Chandr ditya-Dēva, having bathed at the ghat of Srimad Adikēgava at the confluence of the rivers Ganga and Varaņi, bestowed thirty villages in the Vțihadřihēdēvaratha pattala and two villages in the Kathēhali pattala upon the same five hundred Brahmanas who were the donees in the previous copper-plates of Vikrama-Samvat 1150. The inscription also records the dedication of the village of Majauda, situated in the Vamkāņai pattala, together with all its royennes, for the maintenance of the shrine of Sri-Chandra. mādhava at Chandravati. The grant was made in the year Samvat 1168, on Saturday, the third day of the bright half of the month of Vaisakha. The date corresponds to A.D. 1100, April 14.
The temple of Chandramadhava is no longer extant. Mr. Chhote Lal, Executive Engi. neer, Benares, has expressed the opinion that this designation of the town was probably given to it by Chandra-Dēva. Similarly we may assume that the shrine was also founded by the same king and that it was for this reason that he selected it for his special grant on this occasion. On my visit to Chandråvati I learnt that the site of a Svētămbara Jaisa temple in the village is still known to the Hindu inhabitants of Chandravati by the name of Chandramådho. There are two inscriptions in this temple. One of them, hearing the date Vikrama-Samvat 1757, is built in the north wall, and the other, which is dated in the Vikrama-Samyat year 1564, is carved op the base of an image of Santinātha worshipped in this temple. It seems obvious that the temple of Chandramadhava must have disappeared before Vikrama-Samvat 1757, when the Jaina temple was constructed on its site. The temple was probably washed away by the river. The box which contained the six plates was found near the modern site of the temple. We may assume that they were deposited in the temple and escaped destruction because possibly they were buried deep in the ground or a little farther away from the river bank. Copperplates bearing records of grants of land and other gifts to religious establishments have been frequently found buried under the foundations or floors of buildings for whose maintenance they had been issued. The other five plates which were issued in favour of the five hundred Brähmaņas were preserved in the same box with the Chandramadhava plate, because, we may infer, those Brahmaņas were the trustees or guardians of the temple. Thie should account also for the special favoar shown to them by the king in bestowing upon them a large number of villages by two consecutive grants in the course of six years.
Extracts from the TEXT (U1. 1, 8-21, 24). 1. 1
षों । देवश्रीमदादिकेशवदक्षिणमूर्ती तुलापुरुषगोसहममहादान. KHHGG | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1. 8 सोयं. नरपतिमुकुटमकरिकामरकतप्रभापटसपनवितपादपीठो गजपतिगलग
जितप्रलयपंचानमस्त्रिशंकुपतिकपटपाटनक्रकचपातो निर्बाणपधिकलोणावदर्य
Ep. Ind., Vol. IX, pp. 302 q.
From the plate.
