Jinamanjari 1995 09 No 12

Author(s): Jinamanjari
Publisher: Canada Bramhi Jain Society Publication

Page 62

Etymologically, Ambhari in Telugu (local language) is the seating arrangement on the back of the elephant for carrying Gods or royalty. In a way it speaks of the elephant.
Again, there used to be two Jain kulaas under the names Nandigga and Hatthigga referred to in the Kalpusutras.so A broken potsherd from Vaddamanu has yielded an inscription reading as Nandiggaha. The last letter refer to Ha (thigga) an associate sangha of the former. Thus, the places Nandigama, and Amberpet (Hathigama) could have been established by Nandigga and Hattiga sanghas as mentioned in the Kalpasutra. Taking it granted that etymological change name of Amberpet is not acceptable, we come across the name of a village Ambagama in Bihar associated with the visits of Mahavira. During the sixth year of his austerities Mahavira passed through Ambagama on his way to Jambusanda and Bhoganagara.si
In this connection it has to be stated that Ambagama might have been adapted after the village goddess Amba. Amba or Ambika is the Yaksi of Neminatha Tirthankara. Just at the entrance of the present day village Amberpet, there is a presiding deity of the village Sattemma, 52 believed to be the deity of Truth.
Notes & References
1. Dhamnakada is the ancient name of the village which is adjacent to
Amaravati the Buddhist site. Locally it is known currently as Dharanikas. Strangely, name of the Brambi inscriptions recovered from Amaravati have no reference to its name. Possibly, before the establishment of the Buddhist stupa and the monastery by the early missionaries it was an open area where the Bodhi Vrksa was planted and thus the place was called Amaravati (immortal Banyan tree) and subsequently identified as Amaravati. Dharanikota. P.43. Journal of
R.V.V.N. College, 1987. 2. Named after the Buddhist teacher Nagarjuna.
Annual Report of South Indian Epgraphy 1916-17 Copper plate # 9 refers to the establishment of Nadumbivasati for Jains on the hill of Beggawada by
Ayyana Mahadevi, the queen of Kusja Visnuvardhana (624-642 A.D.) 4. Arhat Vacana Vol. 1 (3, 4) 1989, P. 35. Also Vaddamanu, BACRI
Publication, Hydrabad, 1992.
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