EARLY GANGAS OF TALAKAD (1952) (HEBBATA GRANT OF DURVINITA) by Dr S. Srikanta Sastri  

   

 

Through the courtesy of Mr. G. Rama Rao of the Indian Postal and Telegraphic Department this copper plate from Hebbata in the Srinivaspur Taluk in the Kolar District was secured by me some time ago. It is ascertained that this perfectly genuine copper plate grant with the Ganga Elephant seal intact was found by Mr. Subba Rao on the road side stony ground in the crevices of stones as we go to Gundalanatha from Hebbata. The ring was first noticed and on removal was discovered this copper plate grant. The stones were on a level with the ground and on account of a heavy shower of rain the ring of the grant appeared to view about a year and a half ago by Mr. Subba Rao, Shanbhogue of Chaldiganahalli.      

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The Grant consists of five plates joined through a hole at the end by a ring and on the ring is engraved the Ganga Elephant Seal. On either side of the plates are inscribed letters of the old Kannada alphabet. The obverse of the first plate is blank and the inscription begins on the reverse of it.      

 

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I found the plates to be genuine because of the seal, being intact with the ring and of its old paleography. The grant is of the thirty first regnal year of the Ganga King Durvinita; famous for his learning and conquests and it is one of the earliest genuine grants of the Ganga dynasty. So, I requested Mr. S. Srikantha Sastri of the Mysore University, kindly to edit this for me and also to provide a critical study of the grant. I am very much obliged to him for enabling me to publish it with his valuable note. It may be mentioned that Durvinita, a literary figure and empire builder, not merely extended the kingdom from Mysore to the Kolar and Anantapur districts but assisted in the foundation of the dynasty of the Western Chalukyas of Badami. Chronologically this grant is important as belonging to the thirty-first regnal year of the Ganga king Durvinita, mentioning the lagna or ascendant as; kumbha or Aquarius-a rare fact to be noticed in epigraphs.