The Epoch of the Ganga Era

Summary

This article engages in a scholarly debate about the starting point of the Ganga era, an era used in inscriptions of the Eastern Gangas of Kalinga (modern Odisha) and neighbouring dynasties. The author responds to an earlier article by V. V. Mirashi that criticised his proposed epoch for the Ganga era, which he had placed between AD 546 and 556 based on the Madagrima grant and other evidence. Mirashi argued that the era must have commenced at a later date and provided alternative interpretations of the inscriptions. In this reply, the author defends his original position by re‑examining the epigraphic data and challenging Mirashi’s assumptions. He analyses the numerical expression found in the Madagrima grant—“saka‑vatāna‑satāsīti‑samvartu”—and contends that it should be read as a Saka year, not as the Ganga era. He also assesses references to kings such as Anantavarman and Devendravarman, noting that assumptions about their reigns lead to circular arguments about the era’s starting point. The article suggests that the Ganga era began in the mid‑sixth century and that later inscriptions using the era must be calibrated accordingly. By pointing out inconsistencies in Mirashi’s calculations and offering alternative readings of key words, the author aims to reopen the question of the era’s epoch. The discussion underscores the complexity of South Indian chronological systems, where multiple eras—Saka, Gupta and regional—were used simultaneously, often with overlapping numbers.