Inscription Proving Snake Worship Found in Bijapur District of the Bastar Division

Abstract

In ancient times, small kingdoms of Nagas were established all over Northern India. Different branches of Nagas existed in different areas all over India. After the fall of Nala dynasty, the rule of Naga dynasty was established in Bastar region. Chhindak dynasty of Nagas was in power in Bastar. There were about 6 branches of the Chhindak clan of Nagas in India, out of which two branches were ruling in Chakrakot and Bhramarkot of today's Bastar. The same 4 branches of Chhindak clan were ruling in Bagalkot, Yelaburga, Belgutti and Bijapur of Karnataka. From around 760 A.D. to 1324 A.D., Chhindak rulers ruled Bastar for 700 years. In the 10th-11th century, the Chhindak rulers of Chakrakot established their independent kingdom. The Nagas ruled the Godavari region from about the first century to the fourth century, but there is no history of the Nagas between the fifth and seventh centuries. At the same time, there is information about the appearance of Guptas in Madhya Pradesh and Nagas in Karnataka under the name Chhindak.1 At the time when South Kosala was being ruled by the Kalchuris, at about the same time Bastar was under the rule of the Chhindak Naga kings. This Nagvanshi ruler held the title of “Bhogwati Purveshwar.”2 He was known as the Nagvanshi king of Chakrakot. In the Narayanapal inscription3, Dharavarsha has been given the title of “Maharaj Parambhattarak – Parmeshwar”. A Telugu inscription has been found from here, in which the names of Someshwara Dev and his queen are found. Who was probably a snake ruler. Two branches of the Naga rulers of Bastar are known, in which the symbol of the first branch was “Shavak Samyukta Vyaghra” and that of the second branch was “Kamal-Kadali.”4 On the basis of these symbols, it can probably be said that the first branch The rulers were Shaivites and the rulers of the other branch followed Vaishnav religion. Naga ruler Someshwar Dev had patronized Jainism, many statues of Jain Tirthankaras of his reign are found in every corner of Bastar.