Wairagarh

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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Wairagarh (वैरागढ़) is a country mentioned in No. 4 Kuruspal Stone Inscription of Somesvaradeva as Vajra.

Variants

• Vajra
• Vayiragaram
• Wairagarh (वैरागढ़)
• Vairagarh (वैरागढ़)
• Biragarh (बीरागढ़)

Jat Gotras Namesake

• Vaire = Wairagarh, listed as Vajra, a country mentioned in No. 4 Kuruspal Stone Inscription of Somesvaradeva as Vajra.

History

No. 4 Kuruspal Stone Inscription of Somesvaradeva mentions certain contemporary kings, Most of these kings are mentioned here by the names of their countries or capitals, those quite clear being Uḍra, Lanji, Ratnapura, Lemṇa, Vengi, Bhadrapattana and Vajra.....

Vajra or Vayiragaram is mentioned in Tamil literature and inscriptions. The earliest reference to Vajra is perhaps in the Tamil poem Shilappadigāram which is believed to have between 110 and 140 A.D. It is stated in this poem that the Chola king Karikāla

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[p.27]: was on terms of friendship with the kings of Vajra, Magadha, and Avanti. How Vajra fared in later times there are no materials at present to elicit, but during the 10th and llth centuries it was apparently not so important or strong as in the early ages. A noteworthy fact is that in Tamil inscriptions it is always mentioned in conjunction with Chakrakota or Ṡakkarakkoṭṭṭam (शक्करकोट्टम), and since I have localised the latter in Bastar, it will now be easy to see why Vayiragaram must be Wairagarh (वैरागढ़) which adjoins the Bastar State and is situated not very far away from the place where the old Chakrakuta lay. This inscription itself confirms the identification of Chakrakuta with Bastar, as it calls Someshvaradeva the lord of Chakrakuta, and the happy quibble which the composer of our inscription has introduced in regard to the name Vajra ¹ referring to diamonds and its conqueror as a ' diamond piercer,' to my mind definitely settles the question of the identification which does not appear to have been suggested or attempted before. Wairagarh was a well known diamond mine in olden days and it continued to be famous even in the times of Akbar to which the following quotation from the Ain-i-Aknari² testifies : 'Kallam ³ is an ancient city of considerable importance ; it is noted for its buffaloes. In the vicinity is a zamindar named Babjeo of the Gond tribe, more generally known as Chanda ; a force of 1,000 horse and 40,000 foot is under his command. Biragarh (बीरागढ़) which, has a diamond mine and where figured cloths and other stuffs are woven, is under his authority. It is but a short time since that, he wrested it from another chief. Wild elephants abound.' The final note of Abul Fazl about wild elephants incidentally enables us to see how it was that Rajendra-Chola (Kulottunga I.) carried off many herds of elephants from Vayiragaram mentioned in the Tiruvorriyur inscription. ⁴ This is a further confirmation of the identity of the place. Should additional evidence be required as to Wairagarh having been a capital of ruling kings, it is furnished by its ancient remains ⁵ and the strong local tradition ⁶ according to which a line of Mānā kings held sway for some time. Mana or Mani is a semi-aboriginal caste, whose origin is obscure. They say that they came from Manikgarh in the Nizam's Dominions and my belief is that they were a branch of the Nagavamsi kings who worshipped Durga under the name of Manikyadevi. ⁷