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238 EPIGRAPHIA INDICA
(VOL. XXIX Like his illustrious father Gonkarāja II, Kulõttunga-Gonka-Rājēndra-Chöda II was also a staunch worshipper of Siva. He made liberal grants to temples of Siva all over his vast kingdom. He made even richer gifts than his father to the god Bnimanāthēsvara at Drākshārāma. He presented golden utensils for the daily worship of the god in commemoration of his victories over his enemies. He gave away on one occasion a prabhā (aureola) made of solid gold to god Bhimanātha and covered the huge linga with a splendid armour of massive gold. On another occasion he presented a makara-töraña of gold, studded with priceless gems. He built a temple for Siva under the name of Râmēsvara-Mahādēva at Siripuram in Saka 1093, i.e., 1171 A. C., and granted the village of Siripuram together with its twelve hamlets and some more land as dēvabhöga for the worship of the deity. On the banks of the Tungabhadrā, a small stream flowing by the side of Appikatla, a village in Tenali taluk, Guntur District, he built another temple for Siva under the name Visvēśvara-Mahādēva and made large grants of land in Appikațla, Marripūņdi and other villages in the sub-division known as Orgērumārga, for the worship of the god.
Rājēndra-Chöda II would seem to have reigned till a very ripe old age and died about the beginning of 1182 A. C. The last known inscription which mentions the king as still living on that date but indicating his impending death is a record of his Brāhmaṇa officer Mādhava-mantrin of the Srivatsa gātra at Drākshārāma. It is slightly damaged; it registers the gift of a perpetual light to god Bhimanātha on the occasion of an eclipse of the moon on the fullmoon day of Pushya in Saka 1003, which corresponds to Monday, the 22nd December, 1181 A. C., when there occurred an eclipse of the moon. Rājēndra-Choda's death may, therefore, be placed sometime in January or February, 1182 A. C.
Rajandra-Chöda II was also called Vira-Rajendra-Choda. According to the family records found at Drākshärāma and Palacole (Pälakolanu) Rajendra-Chöda had at least four queens, Gundāmbikā, Kuppamá, Pandamā (daughter of the chief of Köna-Kandravādi) and Akkamahädēvi or Ankamahādēvi: the first would appear to have been the consort during the early part of ViraRājēndra-Choda's life.? Akkamahādèvi was the daughter of Mahāmandalēśvara Kondapadumaţi Manma-Manda or Mandarāja II who took a heroic part in the war against Kalinga as a follower of Velanāņţi Rājēndra-Choda I, and the younger sister of Mahāmandalesvara Kondapadumati Buddharāja III.10 To King Vira-Rājēndra-Choda and Akkāmbikā was born Gonkarāja III. His son was Pțith visvara of the Pithapuram inscription.
TEXTU
Second Plate ; First Side? 113frstafferitu: 1 silfraft TTHIETTI
1 Above, Vol. IV, p. 37, verges 47-48. • Ibid. • No. 49 of 1909, (same as SII, Vol. X, No. 177).
SII, Vol. VI Nos. 124 and 125. Omgēru-märga appears to be the ancient name for the region lying between Tenali, Guntur and Bapatla taluks extending towards south as far as Ongole, Guntur District.
SI1, Vol. IV, No. 1366, Ibid., No. 1037. The last digit in the date of the record is lost but may be read as 3. The details of the date then would yield the equivalent, viz., 25th December, 1181 A. C.
No. 181 of 1897. "SI1, Vol. V. No. 161, Vol. IV, No. 1137.
Above, Vol. VI. p. 268 (274). • XII VOL. IV. No. 662, Vv. 7-8. 20 Above. VoL VI, p. 274. u From tho ink-Impressions supplied by the Government Epigraphist for India, the late Dr. Hirananda Sastri. 11 The first plate of this set is lont. 11 MetreVpajani. The first påda is loot on the first plate,
