# Agara inscriptions and hero stones

Agara is a Panchayat-village in Bengaluru located on the Outer Ring Road, near Koramangala and HSR Layout. Three inscriptions have been documented and published from the Agara locality; two of which are documented, but their physical status is not known. The inscriptions range over a period from the 9th Century CE to the 16th Century CE. The inscriptions record various donations made by individuals during the reigns of the rulers of the Western Ganga and Karnataka (Vijayanagara) kingdoms. The 9th century CE Sriyamayya inscription mentions the fixing of Sluices for a tank; though it does not explicitly mention Agara Tank, the location of the inscription, as documented in the Volume 9 of the Epigraphia carnatica is described as being near the tank embankment. This is a sufficient affirmation to infer that the inscription was indeed referring to the Agara Tank, making it one of the earliest documented tank of Bengaluru, approximately 1150–1200 years old.

## Agara 9th century Sriyamayya Inscription

The Sriyamayya inscription is a Kannada inscription dated to the 10th century paleographically. It records the repair of two sluices for the Agara tank and the construction of a new tank along with obtaining lands for its upkeep by Sriryamayya, son of Irugamayya. It was issued during the reign of Nagattara, a feudal chieftain under the Western Ganga ruler Satyavakya Permmadi who ruled the region from Begur as his administrative seat. Nagattara is mentioned in around 15 inscription found in the Bengaluru region during this period, he was also responsible for constructing the Begur Nageshwara temple,which is the earliest documented temple in the Bengaluru region. This inscription heralds Nagattara as Kaliyuga Hanumanta describing his strength and prowess. It was first documented in Volume 9, Epigraphia carnatica. The present physical status of the inscription is not known.

### Transliteration

The text of the transliteration of the inscription is published in the Volume 9 of Epigraphia carnatica.
| Line Number | Kannada | IAST |
| 1 | ಸ್ಯಸ್ತಿಶ್ರೀರಾಜ್ಯವಿಜಯಸಂವ | svastiśrīrajyāvijayasaṃva |
| 2 | ತ್ಸರಸತ್ಯವಾಖ್ಯಪೆಮ್ರ್ಮಡಿಯಕ | tsarasatyavākhyapremmadiyaka |
| 3 | ಲಿಯುಗದಣುವನಾಗತರನೊಳ್ | liyugadaṇuvanāgataranol |
| 4 | ಇವ್ಯುಲಿಯೂರೊಡೆಇರುಗ | ivyuliyūrodeiruga |
| 5 | ಮಯ್ಯನಮಗಂಸಿರಿಯಮ | mayyanamagaṃsiriyama |
| 6 | ಯ್ಯನೆರಡುಕೆಲಿಯಂತೂಂಬನಿ | yyaneradukeliyaṃtūmbani |
| 7 | ಕ್ಕಿಮೂಡಣಕೆಅಯಂಕಟ್ಟಿಸಿ | kkimūdaṇkeayaṃkattisi |
| 8 | ಮೂಹಿಕೆಹಿಯಬಿತ್ತುಪಟ್ಟವಂ | mūhikehiyabittupattavam |
| 9 | ಪಡೆದಂಬಿತ್ತುವಟವಂಸಲಿ | padedambittuvatavamsali |
| 10 | ಸದನುನಿಕ್ಕದುಣ್ಬನುಕವಿಲೆ | sadanunikkadunbanukavile |
| 11 | ಯನಅದಂ | yanaadam |

### Translation

The text of the translation of the inscription is published in the Volume 9 of Epigraphia carnatica.
Be it well. In the victorious year of the Srirajya, under Satyavakya-Permmadi's Kali-yuga Hanuman, Nagattara, — the Iruvvuliyur odeya, Irugamayya's son Sriyamayya, fixed sluices to the two tanks, had the eastern tank built, and obtained the bittuvatta of the three tanks. Imprecation.

## Agara 1362CE Kamaiya Nayaka's Donation Inscription

It is also home to a 14th-century CE Kannada Inscription which is a donatory inscription made during the reign of Kamaiya Nayaka's father, Kampanna Odeya, was ruling the kingdom from Mulubaagil (Mulabagilu) at the time the grant was made and that Kampanna Odeya himself was the son of the great Mahamandaleshwara Veera Bukkana Odeya (Bukka Raya I) of the Vijayanagara Empire. The purpose of this inscription is to document a tax-exempt, perpetual grant (donation) bestowed by Kamaiya Nayaka, the son of Kampanna Odeya, to Taniappa, the son of Allalajeeya. The grant encompassed the village of Belattoor and all dry-wetlands within its four boundaries. Belattoor was situated in Torevalinaadu, which was positioned to the south of Sannenaadu. The donation was made in the presence of the Gavundas of the kingdom. The inscription also reveals that Taniappa's father, Allalajeeya, hailed from Yelahanka. The Gavundas is a term used to indicate village heads. Over time it the term has changed into other related forms such as Gamunda, Gavaunda, Goundar, Gauda. The inscription was first documented in Epigraphia carnatica, Volume 9. The term has been in continuous use from 7th century onwards. The inscription is presently housed in the Government Museum, Bengaluru.

### Discovery and dating

This inscription was identified during field surveys based on information given in the Epigraphia carnatica Vol-9. The Epigraphia carnatica Vol 9 (1905ed) mentions this inscription as being brought to the Bangalore museum from Agara village. It is unclear why this inscription was installed at Agara. The Belathoor mentioned is most likely Belathur in the KR Puram region which finds mention in an inscription. However why the inscription was installed at Agara and not Belattor or Yelahanka is not clear. The inscription is dated to Friday, 03-Jun-1362CE Julian as it is precisely mentioned in the inscription as "śakābda 1286 nĕya śobhakṛtu saṃ| jyeṣṭa śu11 bu".

### Physical characteristics

The inscription is 148 cm tall, 123 cm wide. The Kannada Character are approximately 3 cm tall, 4 cm wide & 0.24 cm deep (shallow depth).

### Transliteration

The text below is published in the rereading of the inscription in the Journal of the Mythic Society.
Digital images of each of the characters of this inscription, images of the inscription itself, summary and other information about the inscription have been shared via Aksharabhandara Software
| Line Number | Kannada | IAST |
| 1 | ಸ್ವಸ್ತಿ ಶ್ರೀ ಶಕಾಬ್ದ ೧೨೮೬ | svasti śrī śakābda 1286 |
| 2 | ನೆಯ ಶೋಭಕೃತು ಸಂ| ಜ್ಯೇಷ್ಟ ಶು೧೧ | nĕya śobhakṛtu saṃ| jyeṣṭa śu11 |
| 3 | ಬು| ಶ್ರೀ ಮನುಮಹಾಮಂಡಳೇಶ್ವರಂ ಅರಿರಾ | bu| śrī manumahāmaṃḍaleśvaraṃ arir |
| 4 | ಯ ವಿಭಾಡ ಭಾಷೆಗೆ ತಪ್ಪುವ ರಾಯರಗಂಡ | ya vibhāḍa bhāṣĕgĕ tappuva rāyaragaṃḍa |
| 5 | ಶ್ರೀ ವೀರಬುಕ್ಕಣ್ಣವೊಡೆಯರ ಕುಮಾರ ಕಂಪಣ್ಣ | śrī vīrabukkaṇṇavŏḍĕyara kumāra kaṃpa ṇṇa |
| 6 | ವೊಡೆಯರು ಮುಳುಬಾಗಿಲ ಪಟ್ಟಣದಲು ಪ್ರು | vŏḍĕyaru mulubāgila paṭṭaṇadalu pru |
| 7 | ಥ್ವಿರಾಜ್ಯಂಗೆಯುತ್ತಿರಲು ಕಂಪಣ್ಣ ವೊಡೆಯರ | thvirājyaṃgĕyuttiralu kaṃpaṇṇa vŏḍĕyara |
| 8 | ಕುಮಾರ ಕಾಮೈಯನಾಯ್ಕರು ಯೀ ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಗವು | kumāra kāmaiyanāykaru yī rājyada gavu |
| 9 | ಂಡುಗಳ ಮುಂದಿಟ್ಟು ಎಲಹಕ್ಕನಾಡ ಅಲ್ಲಾ | ṃḍugal ̤ a muṃdiṭṭu ĕlahakkanāḍa allā |
| 10 | ಳಜೀಯನ ಮಗ ತಣ್ಣಿಯಪ್ಪಂಗೆ ಶಿಲಾಶಾಸನವ | lajīyana maga taṇṇiyappaṃgĕ śilāśāsanava |
| 11 | ಮಾಡಿಕೊಟ ಕ್ರಮವೆಂತೆದಡೆ‌ ಸಣ್ಣೆನಾಡ ತೆ | māḍikŏṭa kramavĕṃtĕdaḍĕ saṇṇĕnāḍa tĕ |
| 12 | ಂಕಣ ಬಾಗೆಯ ತೊಱೆವಳಿನಾಡ ಬೆಳತ್ತೂರನೂ | ṃkaṇa bāgĕya tŏṟĕval ̤ ināḍa bĕl ̤ a̤ttūranū |
| 13 | ಯೀ ವೂರ ಗದ್ದೆ ಬೆದ್ದಲು ಚತುಸ್ಸೀಮೆ ಯೇನು | yīvūra gaddĕ bĕddalu catussīmĕ yenu |
| | ಹಿಂಭಾಗ | Backside |
| 14 | ಳ್ಳದನೂ ಸರ್ವಮಾನ್ಯದ ಕೊಡಗೆಯಾಗಿ | ll̤adanū sarvamānyada kŏḍagĕyāgi |
| 15 | ಚಂದ್ರಾದಿತ್ಯರುಳ್ಳಂನಬರಸಲುವಂ | chaṃdrādityarull̤aṃnabarasaluvaṃ |
| 16 | ತಾಗಿ ಶಿಲಾ ಶಾಸನವ ಮಾಡಿಕ್ಕೊ | tāgi śilā śāsanava māḍikkŏ |
| 17 | ಟ್ಟೆವು ಮಂಗಳ ಮಹಾಶ್ರೀಃ | | ṭṭĕvu maṃgala mahāśrīḥ| |

### Translation

The translation is published in Volume 9 of the Epigraphia carnatica.
"Be it well. (On the date specified), when (with usual titles) vira Bukkanna-Vodeyar's son Kampanna-Vodeyar was in the city of Mulubagil, ruling the kingdom of the world :— that Kampanna-Vodeyar's son Kamaiya-Nayaka, in the presence of the farmers of this kingdom, granted to Elahaka-nad Allala-jiya's son Tanniyappa, lands in Belattur of the Torevali-nad of the south of the. . . . . .nti-nad, as a sarvamanya kodage".

## Agara 1515 CE Shivappa Nayaka Inscription

It is a Kannada donatory Inscription dated to 1515 CE as mentioned in the inscription as "shalivahanashaka savirada nanuhayippattuelaneya yuvasamvatsarada bhadrapada Kudha 15 lu sumoparaga punya kala". It records the donation of land for the upkeep of the Agara Tank by a Shivappa Nayaka for the spiritual elevation of his father. It was issued during the reign of Krishnadevaraya of the Karnataka Empire (Vijayanagara Empire). It is one of the most significant inscriptions documented as it records that the donation was carried out during a solar eclipse, testimony to the astronomical prowess of medieval inhabitants of the region in calculating solar eclipses, another inscription in Bengaluru, the Kodigehalli inscription also documents a similar context where a donation was made during an eclipse. Interestingly both the inscriptions belong to different periods of the Vijayanagara Empire. It was first documented in the Volume 9 of Epigraphia carnatica. The physical status of the inscription is not known presently.

### Transliteration of the Inscription

The text of the transliteration of the inscription is published in the Volume 9 of Epigraphia carnatica.
| Line Number | Kannada | IAST |
| 1 | ಶುಭಮಸ್ಸತುಸ್ಯಸ್ತಿಶ್ರೀಜಯಾಭ್ಯುದಯಶಾಲಿವಾ | shubhamassatusyastiśrījayābhyudayashālivā |
| 2 | ಹನಶಕ(ವ)ರುಪಸಾವಿರದನಾನೂಹಯಿಪ್ಪತ್ತುಏ | hanashaka(va)rupasāviradanānūhayippattuye |
| 3 | ಳನೆಯಯುವಸಂವತ್ಸರದಭಾದ್ರಪದಕು | ḷneyayuvasaṃvatsaradabhādrapadaku |
| 4 | ಧ೧೫ಲೂಸೋಮೋಪರಾಗಪುಂಣ್ಯಕಾಲದಲ್ಲುಕ್ರುಷ್ಣ | dhā15lūsōmōparāgapuṇyakāladallukruṣhṇa |
| 5 | ರಾಯಮಹಾರಾಯರುವೃತ್ಯೀಗೈಉತಯಿರಲು | rāyamārāyaruvrutyigaiyutayiralu |
| 6 | ಸಿವಂಣಪನಾಯಕರುತಂಮತಂದೆಗೆಧರ್ಮವಾಗಬೇಕೆಂ | sivaṃṇapanāyakarutaṃtaṃdegedharmavāgabēkēm |
| 7 | ದುಅಗರದಕೆಹಗೆಭಂಡಿನಡೆಉದಕ್ಕೆಕೊಟ್ಟಹೊಲ | duagaradakehagebhandinadeudakkekottahola |

### Translation

The text of the translation of the inscription is published in the Volume 9 of Epigraphia carnatica.
"May it be prosperous. Be it well (On the date specified), at the time of and eclipse of the moon, - when Krishna-Raya-maharaya was ruling the kingdom of the world :- Sivannappa-Nayaka, in order that dharma might be to his father, granted a field to provide for keeping up a cart for the Agara tank."