272 THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY, [SZPTEMBEB, 1873. probable date at which this dynasty arose. The document in Sir Walter Elliot’s volume was is¬ sued by the tenth king, named Arivarman (not Ha- rivaman, as stated in the Tamil work), and bears the date J$aka 169 (a.d. 247). It also contains an account of the two preceding kings, MMhava and Kongani Yarman, which tallies exactly with that given in the Tamil treatise, and thus tends to show that the latter is entirely based on copper-plate grants. To judge from the shape and general character of the letters, this inscription would seem to be very ancient, and to show no traces of forgery. The Kongadeta RdjdkaL also mentions a grant made by the same king in Saka 210, or forty-one years later than the present grant. If any more grants of the same dynasty should be forthcoming, we might probably have to admit the correctness of the chronology* as given in the Tamil book, not¬ withstanding the high average. There were also in the volume two grants relating to the Western or Kaly&ni line of the ChAlukyas, both issued by Venayaditya, the son of VikramAditya, during his father’s lifetime, and at his command, and dated respectively in Saka 611 and 613 (a.d. 689 and 691), being the tenth and eleventh years of the king’s reign. He would, accordingly, have succeeded on his father’s resignation in Saka 601-2, as his prede¬ cessors are mentioned, VikramAditya, SatyAsraya, Kirttivarman, and Pulakesi. Since it is most pro¬ bable that SatyASraya began to reign in Saka 531, we should thus obtain seventy years for the dura¬ tion of his and his son’s reigns. Of Pulakesi there was a grant at the British Museum, dated Saka 411; but there was some doubt as to its genuine¬ ness, on palroological grounds, the character of the letters being very nearly the same as that of some inscriptions of the Eastern line in the tenth Cen¬ tury of our era. Sir W. Elliot’s collection also included several grants of the Pallava line, con¬ taining the names Skandavarman, Viravarman, Vishnugopavarman, and Sinhavarman; besides RAjendravarman and Devendravarman, and Chan- davarman and Nandivarman. All these grants, however, record merely the years of the reigns of the kings by whom they were issued .—Athenaeum, June 21. vtthobAof PANDARPUR. On the 20th July a Gosavi, who, it seems, was highly displeased with his god, went into the temple at Pandarpur and hurled a stone at the image with such force that it knocked a piece out of his breast and broke his legs. The attendants seized the offender and beat him, but he was rescued by the police and placed in custody. Thus the great god VithobA, “ the lord of heaven and earth,” accord¬ ing to the Hindu canons, is dead. Had such an accident befallen any common god, the image might have been replaced. But the VithobA of Pandarpur cannot be replaced. Only BanAras, DwArka, NAsik, and one or two other places can boast gods of equal or approaching sanctity. Thou¬ sands from every quarter of MahArAshtra perform toilsome pilgrimages to the fair at Pandarpur, un¬ deterred by the cholera which appears at every gathering, sweeping off numbers of the pilgrims. The people present at the last AshAdlii fair, which lasted from the 6th to the 10th July, were esti¬ mated at one hundred and fifty thousand. Every man brings his offering, so that the revenue of the temple is enormous. Besides supporting a host of priests in luxury, it affords a balance which is laid out in the most costly jewels for the god, and in decorating the shrine with gold in a manner which dazzles the eye the first time it is beheld. Vows the most extravagant are made toVithobA for prayers answered or blessings expected; no sacrifice of wealth, of comfort, or of life, being considered too great to buy the god’s favour. Besides the crowds who throng at the regular fairs in July and October, there is a large daily attendance of those who live in the vicinity. VithobA receives his worshippers one at a time, and is dressed up by the attendant priests with a splendour propor¬ tionate to the amount of the offering expected from each devotee. One man who visited Pandarpur last November with an offering of twenty-five rupees, told us he was received in a dress and jewels worth Rs. 50,000. It is said that the god possesses ornaments valued at twenty lakhs of rupees, and would appear with them all on at once were a worshipper to come bringing a fitting offer¬ ing. Some of his diamonds and pearls are de¬ scribed as of extraordinary size and purity. The rivalry is great among the worshippers to be honoured by a sight of the finest jewels, and induces many a gift beyond what the donor can afford. But no privation is complained of which has to be endured to propitiate VithobA of Pandarpur. The origin of this celebrated idol is thus told: the god VithobA had formerly his seat at DwArka. There lived at Pandarpur a youth named Punda- lika, who, though only twelve or fifteen years of age, was a great saint and an unceasing worshipper of the gods. His piety attracted the love of VithobA, who paid him a visit in person from DwArka. The boy was in attendance on his father when the god appeared in human form, unseen to any but Pundalika. He at once recognised the favour done him, and entreated VithobA to remain • To this dynasty also belong the Merk&ra plates dated $88, and the N figamangala plates dated £aka 699. Vide ante, vol. I* p. 861; vol. II. p. 165.—Ed.
