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EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
[Vou. XXVIII 2 vana-Trinētra-brimad-V[ai]durba-mahārājulu Sa(Sa) 893 něnți A(A)sha(a)(dha)
su(su)ddha 7 Guruvärambugā[m] Bā. 3 ka-nāmți Pottepi-vita Dakshiņa(pā)yana-saņkrānti-nimittamm[u]nan-Artirëvula [-sannimi-)
tra Lõkēśvara4 Bha[tā]ralakum Gadapa-Panrențiloni Kațicheruvulu yichchi[ri] [I*] Dinikin va5 kkrambu vachchinavāru Bārana(na)sini Sripa[r*]vvatambunn=aļisinavāru [l*] dinim jēkoni
kāchi 6 kuducheduvăru Mamjaramuna Kuchibhadālu Bhimarājunakum Bachavvari7 ki dharmmavugān-ichchiri [I*] A(Ā)ņati Sirama-peggedlu [l*] Dēsarati Bhimana vrālu [l*] 8 sri-Abhinuta-vāku [l*]
No. 13–HIREGUTTI PLATES OF BHOJA ASANKITA
(1 Plate)
P. B. DESAI, OOTACAMUND
In the course of my annual tour in the Bombay-Karnataka area during 1949-50, I secured the loan of this highly interesting set of copper plates from Sri Uddanda Bommayya Gaonkar, a resident of Hire Gutti in the Kumta tāluk of the North Kanara District, Bombay State, who owned it as an heirloom. It became possible to obtain its loan from the reluctant owner through the kindness of Sri S. P. Gaonkar of Ankola, M.L.A., who had informed me of its existence about a decade ago. I am editing the inscription on these plates here for the first time with the kind permission of the Government Epigraphist for India.
The set consists of three plates strung together on a copper ring passing through a hole, 1" in diameter, at the centre of the margin on the left side. The ends of the ring which measures 21" in diameter and whose thickness is about ', are secured at the bottom of a circular seal. The plates are of uniform size; they measure 7" in length, 21" in breadth and about it in thickness. Only one side each of the first and the third plates and both sides of the second plate are engraved. There are 16 lines of writing which are distributed equally on the four faces. The seal measuring 1" in diameter, bears in relief, the rough figure of a miniature elephant in motion facing the proper right. The weight of the plates is 27 tolas and that of the ring with the seal 8 tolas. The plates are in & good state of preservation notwithstanding their age.
The charter is written in the southern alphabet of the early age. The average height of single letters is about t' and of conjuncts". The characters are of the normal variety, that were in vogue in the Deccan and western part of South India. For general appearance they may be compared with the script of the Sangoli plates of Harivarman, Halmidi stone inscription, Bädämi Vaishnava cave inscription and Godachi plates of Katti-arasa. Two trends, viz., slightly more advanced and somewhat less advanced, are noticeable in the formation of letters like kj, n, 1 and y. The letters t and n are not generally distinguished. The medial short i denoted either by a curve or a circle at the top, is distinguished from long i indicated by a curve with a loop on the left above the letter.
1 The reading of this expression is doubtful as some of the letters are not legible. The akshara sa is engraved below the line and this omission is denoted by a cross incised between the aksharas la and [nni).
. Above, Vol. XIV plate between pp. 166 and 167.
Mys. Arch. Rep. for 1938 ; plate XXII, facing p. 72. • Ind. Ant., Vol. X, plate facing p. 57. . Above, p. 82.
