Page:Epigraphia Indica Vol 25.pdf/22

No, 2.) RAMTEK STONE INSCRIPTION OF THE TIME OF RAMACHANDRA. 7

By Prof. V. V. Mirashi, M.A. and L. R. Kulkarni, M.A, Nagpur.

Ramték is the head-quarters of a taAsil of the same name in the Nagpur District of the Central Provinces. It is situated 28 miles North by East of Nagpur and derives its name from the temple of Rima on a hill close tothe town, The ‘place ix regarded aa very holy on weeount of a number of temples and tirthas on the hill and in its vicinity. A fair is held in the month of Karttika, which attracts thousands of people from even far-off places, The sanctity of the place ean be traced back to the fourth century A.D). at least ; for the Riddhapur plates, which were issued from the foot-prints of the Lord of Rimagirit (modern Rimfék), reeord a grant of the Vakitaka dowager queen Prabhdvatigupta on the twelfth tithi of the bright fortnight of Karttika, Kalidisa also mentiaws in his Méghadita that the hill was marked with the footprints of Rima’, These re- ferences Mhdicate ‘That the shrine av Rimuagiri ut first contained only the foot-printa of Rima. Later off the images of Rima and Sit appear to have been installed there and another temple - tdedicated to Lalshmaga was built. This is probably the reason why the temple of Lakshmans j# at present situated in front of that of Rima and S14, The present images of these deities are said to have been found in the Dudhali tank ot Rimpék® and were substituted some years ago for the earlier oned which had been mutilated. Thess temples are surrounded by a number of smaller slirines. ‘hey are situated in the innermost of three enclosures on the hill and none but caste Hindus get aecess to them.

The present inseription ix incised on a urge slab Jet iito the wall on the right hand side of the door of the garbAogrita in the temple of Lakahmana. ‘Is waa first preferred to: by General Cannifighim's Assistant Beglar,! who visited Ramtek in 1873-74. He was not admitted to the innermost conrt-yard of the temple, but ho got the inscription oopied by his Hindu servant and noticed in it the name of Rimadéva.* He could not, however, offer any conjecture about the identification of this Riimailiva, Subsequently from @ faint rubbing of it supplied by Dr. Flest, Prof. Kielhorn first noticed in it the names of Shhhana and Rimachandra whom he identitied with the homonymous princes of the Raipur branch of the Haihaya dynasty* mentioned in the Khaliri and Raipur stone inscriptions. In 1904-05 Mr. Cousens visited the place, but he too was not admitted inside’ and Was thotefore unable to give any accotint of the contents of the inscription, Finally Raj Bahadur Hiralal briefly noticed the inscription in his Inscriptions in the C. P, and Berar* ond identified many of the firthas mentioned in it in an informative article en- titled ‘A visit to Ramftek’, published in the Indian Antiqvary, Vol. XX XVII, pp. 202-08, Though referred to or noticed several times the inscription has remained unedited so far, In the dbsenes of a reliable edition it has given rise to some misconceptions about its historicul con- tents. Wa have, thorefore, edited it here from the original stone whieh we could examine several times during our visits to Ramték.

1 apefatcertis <oTeReT ey J.P. A, 8. 6%, Vol XX, p. 08

i gat oyafevesfire Ferre: | (Verse 12.)

‘Ind, Aut, Vol. XXXVIE (1906), pp. 207 &

© Canninghani's 4.9, B., Vol. VA, p. 112:

+ "This oecurs in lines 54 and 61 but there it denotes the deity Rima,

• Above, Vol, TL, p. 250,

1 P. RB. 4. 8., Wenern Circle, for 1904-05, p. 41, para. 145.

4 First Edition (1916), pp. of. ; Second Edition (1042), p. 3,