Person: Arlo Griffiths

This set of four plates was first published in June 1954 after it was sent to the office of the Government Epigraphists for India by Shri M. Somasekhara Sarma of Madras. The location of its discovery is not known.

The charter records the donation of the village of Dhārikāṭūra as an agrahāra by Achaṇḍavarman who is refered to by the title Yuvamahārāja which Sircar translates as ‘crown prince’. The donated village was given to two Brāhmaṇa brothers Bhavaskandaśamārya and Bhartṛiśarmārya who belonged to the Bhemāṇa-Kāśyapa and resided in Donṇṇampi.

The charter was issued from Vēṅgīpura, which has been identified as the modern village of Pedavegi, on the 3rd day of the 6th fortnight of the rainy season in the 35th year. The year of the issue probably refers to the reign period of an unnamed king if we follow Sircar’s argument that Achaṇḍavarman was a crown prince.

This set of four copper plates was unearthed alongside a second Śālaṅkāyana copper plate in the village of Kānukollu, Guḍivāḍa taluk in 1940. The copper plates were found in the earth near the ramparts of an old fort, gold and lead coins have also been found in the same location.

The plates were originally secured together with a ring and seal, which was melted down shortly after the charters discovery.

The charter records the donation of the village of Kompara in Kudarāhāra district to the Chāturvaidya community who resided in Rathakāra. The grant is described as a Brahmadeya, suggesting that Chāturvaidya was a religious institution.

The charter was issued from Vēṅgīpura, which has been identified as the modern village of Pedavegi. The charter was issued on the 1st day of the bright fortnight of the month of Kārttika in the 1st year of Skandavarman’s reign.

The inscription states that Skandavarman was a worshipped of Chitrarathasvāmin and was the son of Hastivarman, the grandson of Nandivarman and the great-grandson of the Hastivarman.

This set of 8 copper plates was unearthed alongside a second Śālaṅkāyana copper plate in the village of Kānukollu, Guḍivāḍa taluk in 1940. The copper plates were found in the earth near the ramparts of an old fort, gold and lead coins have also been found in the same location.

The plates are secured together with a ring and seal and the chart records the donation of the village of Piḍiha by Nandivarman to the Chāturvaidya community in Rathakāra. The donation was made to increase the spiritual merit of Nandivarman and to increase the fame of Bālakamahārāja-kumāra Khaṁdapotta.

The charter was issued from Vēṅgīpura, which has been identified as the modern village of Pedavegi on the 1st day of the 2nd fortnight of the rainy season in the 14th year of Nandivarman’s reign.

Krishna Rao 1955-56 argues that this charter was issued by Nandivarman I and is not the same Nandivarman of the Pedavegi copper plate.

This set of four copper plates records the donation of the village of Vidēnūrapallikā in Kuḍuhāra to 150 Brāhmaṇas of various gōtras and charaṇas who lived in the agrahāra village of Kuravaka. The donation was made by Nandivarman and was issued from Vēṅgīpura, which has been identified as the modern village of Pedavegi.

The charter is dated to the 8th day of the dark fortnight of Paush in the 7th year of Nandivarman’s reign.

Within the inscription Nandivarman is described as the eldest son of Chaṇḍavarman.

This set of 5 plates were found in the village of Penugoṇḍa in West Godavari district. It is secured with a ring and seal, and the seal is possibly decorated with a seated bull.

The charter records the donation of the village of Mulukuli in Kānira district to 60 Brāhmaṇas who belong to various gōtras and charaṇas. The donation was made by Hastivarman who is described as 100 years old and was given to increase the merit, health and wealth of the king. The charter was issued from Jayapura on the 8th day of the dark fortnight of the month of Jyeshṭha. The year of the donation is not known.

This set of four copper plates were originally secured together with a ring and a damaged seal. The exact location where the charter was found is unknown.

The charter records the donation of twenty nivartanas of land and a site for a house and servants quarters in the village of Ēlūra to Gaṇaśarman. The donation was made by Vijaya-Devavarman who is described in the inscription as a devotee of Chitrarathasvāmin and as a performer of ‘horse sacrifices’.

The charter was issued from Vēṅgīpura, which has been identified as the modern village of Pedavegi. The Ēlūra mentioned in the inscription has been identified as the modern town of Ellore/Eluru.

The grant is dated to the 10th day of the dark fortnight of Pausha in the 13th year of Devavarman’s reign.

This set of 5 coppers plates were found near Pedavegi and are secured together with a ring and seal. The image on the seal is indistinct.

The charter records the donation by Nandivarman of four plots of land in different villages to the cow-herders of Arutore, to support the god Vishnugrihasvāmin ‘the lord of the three worlds’. The details of the donation are:
– 10 nivartanas in Prālura
– 10 nivartanas in Munduru
– 6 nivartanas in Chencheruvu
– 6 nivartanas in Kambuvancheruvu

The charter was issued from Vēṅgīpura, which has been identified as the modern village of Pedavegi on the day of Sukla Pādyami in the month of Srāvana in the 10th year of Nandivarman’s reign.

In the inscription, Nandivarman is referred to as the great grandson of Hastivarman, the grandson of Nandivarman and the eldest son of Chaṇḍavarman.

Subba Rao states that Munduru is the modern village of Mundūr and that Kambuvancheruvu is located in the modern village of Kamburan Cheruvu.

This set of four copper plates was unearthed alongside a second Śālaṅkāyana charter in the village of Kantēru. The plates were secured together with a ring and seal which are both damaged.

The charter records the donation of a piece of land measuring 12 nivartansa in the village of Kuruvāḍa in Kudrahāra vishy to Svāmi Chandra of the Maudgalya gōtra. The donation was made by Nadivarman and was issued from Vēṅgīpura, which has been identified as the modern village of Pedavegi.

The charter was issued on the new moon day.

The charter records the donation of the village of Chinnapura in Kudrahāra vishaya to Śivārya, a resident of the village of Lēkumārī and a member of the Maudgalya gōtra. The donation was made by Vijaya-Skandavarman and was issued from Vēṅgīpura, which has been identified as the modern village of Pedavegi.

The grant was issued on the full moon day of Vaiśākha in the 1st year of Skandavarman’s reign.

This set of five copper plates was discovered in 1886 by Pindi Nammayya of Upperagudem, a village in Amalapuram in Golugonda taluk of Vizagapatam district. The charter was found whilst Nammayya was excavating a tank called Atikavani in Chikkulla agrahāra in Gōdāvari district. The village of Chikkulla is possibly located in the region marked on the map.

The copper plates are secured with a ring and seal. The seal is decorated with an image of a lion, side on, with one paw raised, with mouth open and its tail raised.

The charter records the donation of the village of Regonram to the temple of Sōmagirīśvaranātha which was dedicated to a form of Śiva, Tryambaka. The donation was made by Vikramēndravarman who is described as the son of Indrabhaṭṭārakavarman, the grandson of Vikramēndravarman, who is described as ‘embellishing the families of the Viṣṇukundins and the Vākāṭas, and the great-grandson of Mādhavavarman who performed 11 Aśvamedha sacrifices.

The charter was issued from Ḷenduḷūra on the 5th day of the 8th fortnight of the summer in the 10th year of reign.

Image of copper plate charter. (http://www.chennaimuseum.org/draft/gallery/01/07/copper3.htm)