Goddess Pistapuri or Pistapurikidevi — a Note
By Dilip Kumar Biswas
Summary
This note analyses the figure Pistapuri (or Pistapurikidevi) mentioned in the Khoh copper‑plate inscriptions. Scholars debated whether Pistapuri referred to a place or a goddess. The author argues that Pistapuri is a local deity of Pistapura, identified with modern Pithapuram. He notes that ancient Indian coins and inscriptions often name deities after the places they protect, such as Rudradi of Bhadravati and Nandisvara of Nandigramafile:///home/oai/redirect.html#:~:text=a%20temple%E2%80%9D%E2%80%99%20of%20this%20particular,%C2%AE. Similarly, Pistapuri‑devi means ‘the goddess of Pistapura’file:///home/oai/redirect.html#:~:text=Now%20the%20custom%20of%20looking,the%20two%20above%20cases%2C%20have. Recognising her as a local goddess explains why her name appears in land grants: kings invoked local deities to legitimise donations. The note thus clarifies that Pistapuri is not a generic epithet but a specific tutelary goddess, illustrating how regional deities were integrated into broader Hindu worship.
Conclusion
By interpreting Pistapuri‑devi as the tutelary goddess of Pistapura, the note clarifies that the name refers to a local deity linked to modern Pithapuramfile:///home/oai/redirect.html#:~:text=a%20temple%E2%80%9D%E2%80%99%20of%20this%20particular,%C2%AEfile:///home/oai/redirect.html#:~:text=Now%20the%20custom%20of%20looking,the%20two%20above%20cases%2C%20have. This explains the presence of her name in copper‑plate grants and highlights how ancient rulers invoked local gods to legitimise their authority.