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No. 28]
189
BRAHMI INSCRIPTIONS FROM BANDHOGARH BRAHMT IN
XII. Inscriptions in Cave No. 6
There is no Brāhmi insoription in this cave which consists of only one hall. There are, however, seven beautifully carved letters in shell characters 'engraved at the right end of the back wall. There are also letters written in black paint varying from 9 inches to two feet in size, which are now practically effaced. A late inscription is engraved along the wall, partly outting the letters written in black paint. In one place, however, the word Sivabhatka(kta) can be clearly road and in another the word putasa. There are a few other small epigraphs, now illegible, which seem to have been only pilgrims' records. On the jamb of the first entrance to the left, the letters Siva are clear. There is no record of any historical importance, nor any image. The small records ere, however, valuable in that they clearly indicate the Saivite association of the place. The hall may have been only a resting place for the pilgrims visiting the caves in the vicinity.
XIII. Inscriptions of Bhatfadera (Plate JIT) [In cave No. 8, about & mile and a half to the west of Gopālpur. There are two inscriptions, here
marked A and B, both badly mutilated. A is on the back wall and B on the left wall.)
TEXT
1 [8iJdba (1) Mahārāja-Pothagiriputasa (Ko).... 9 ................ (pa]khe.... 3 [otá*]ya puruvāya Vasumitaka-natt[i]kasa......... 4 .............. ketana-dhamachara[ņā] 1[á]t[@]-ghara khånita (punyash).......
B
1 Maharājasa Kosildputasa siri-Bhastta devasa.....
• TRANSLATION
Sucoessi On......
..........fortnight (of the reign) of .... son of Pothastri. On this day, by ............. the grandson of Vasumita ..........., has boen excavated a CAVE-shelter for dwelling as a measure of piety. May merit increase.
в
The illustrious Mahardja Bhattadeva, the son of Komikl.......
1 The roof of the cave is fallen.
of the first line of A, only the beginning is preserved. The second lino has practically disappeared due to the yoning of the stone. The third and fourth lines are also badly worn off. Obviously both the inscriptions belongod to the time of Bhattadeva, son of Pothasiri. (It is difficult to be definite on this point.--Ra.)
• The last three syllables must have been adhatu as in some other inscriptions,
