Syllabus: GS1/Art and Culture Context
∙ 10th century Kadamba inscription written in Kannada, Sanskrit recently discovered in the Mahadeva temple at Cacoda in southern Goa.
About the Inscription (Discovery and Study)
∙ It throws light on the Kadamba period in Goa and opens with an auspicious word ‘Be it well’ (Swasthi Shri).
∙ It was found lying in between the temples of Mahadev and Sateri-Betal at Cacoda in Goa.
Epigraphic Details:
∙ It records that when Talara Nevayya was administering the mandala, his son Gundayya having taken a vow to fulfil his father’s desire of capturing a gopura of the port of Goa, fought and died after fulfilling his father’s wish.
∙ Its epigraph is engraved in Kannada and Nagari characters.
∙ It is in the literary style of the Talangre inscription of Jayasimha I of the same period.
∙ Deciphering of the Kadamba stone inscription has highlighted the historical and socio-cultural importance.
Historical Narrative:
∙ The Kadambas of Goa were the subordinates of Chalukyas of Kalyana.
∙ Chalukyan emperor Tailapa II appointed Kadamba Shasthadeva as Mahamandaleshwar a of Goa for his help in overthrowing the Rashtrakutas.
∙ Kadamba Shasthadeva conquered the Chandavara city in 960 A.D, and conquered the port of Gopakapattana (present Goa).
∙ It is believed that the Gundayya, son of Talara Nevayya, have participated in the battle, and won the port of Gopakapattana at the cost of his life.
∙ His father, Talara Nevayya, erected a memorial stone with the inscription in the temple of Mahadev of Cacoda to commemorate the heroic fight of his son.
Socio-cultural Importance:
∙ Cacora village lies in the vicinity of navigable waterways which connect to the Upper Ghat region through the ancient route of Diggi ghat leading to Karnataka.
∙ Cacoda, now a census town under the Municipality of Curchorem Cacora in Goa and it has the temple of the presiding deity Mahadev, with the affiliated deities of Betal, Dana Gaddi, Sidha, Bhumipurush, Paik, Vithal, Vagro and a shrine dedicated to Pir.
Kadambas Dynasty
∙ The Kadambas were an ancient Karnataka royal dynasty that controlled northern Karnataka and the Konkan region, established by Mayurasharma in about 345 AD.
∙ They lived alongside the Western Ganga Dynasty and created one of the first local kingdoms to rule the region autonomously.
Major sources of Kadamba history:
∙ Inscriptions like Talagunda, Gundanur, Chandravalli, Halasi, and Halmidi in Sanskrit and Kannada.
a. The Talagunda inscription: It is one of their earliest inscriptions that establishes Mayurasharma as the kingdom’s founder and provides the explanation for the creation of the Kadamba monarchy.
Architecture:
∙ It includes unique features, including some similarities to the Chalukyan and Pallava styles and was inspired by the Satavahana architectural tradition.
∙ The most noticeable aspect of their architecture is the Kadamba Shikara.
