Elapure Grant of Western Calukya Vijayaditya Saka-Samvat 626

Summary

This epigraphic study publishes and analyses a set of three copper‑plate grants issued by the Western Chalukya king Vijayaditya in Saka year 626. The plates, obtained through the generosity of Prof. D. R. Bhandarkar, record a land grant at Elapura and contain genealogical details of the Chalukya dynasty. The author describes the physical characteristics of the plates, the paleography of the Old Kannada script and the unusual forms of certain letters. He provides a transliteration and translation of the Sanskrit text, which praises previous kings and gives the customary royal epithets. Attention is drawn to variant spellings, compound consonants and the use of subscripts, as well as to grammatical peculiarities such as the placement of the avagraha. The historical discussion situates the grant among other Chalukya inscriptions and compares the donation with similar grants found at Reyagad and Talamanchi. Through careful philological and historical analysis, the article contributes to understanding Western Chalukya administration and chronology.