Jateshwara

Jateshwara (जटेश्वर) (also Jateshvara, Jateswara, Jatesvara) has been mentioned in various records. Literally it means the Jat God. Historically Jateśvara alias Madhukāmārnava, was the son and successor of Anantavarman- Chôdaganga, who ruled over the kingdom of Kalinga.

Jateshwara Mahadeva temples

There is diety named Jateshwara in the cave temple of Kalpeshwar. Kalpeshwar is the place where Shiva's jata appeared. At this small stone temple, approached through a cave passage, the matted tress (jata) of Lord Shiva is worshipped. Hence, Lord Shiva is also called as Jatadhar or Jateshwar. The Kalpeshwar temple is located in the Urgam valley of the Himalayan mountain range near Urgam village (2 km) short of the temple). On the bridle path from Helang to Kalpeshwar, the enchanting confluence of the Alaknanda and Kalpganga rivers is seen. Kalp Ganga river flows through the Urgam valley. The Urgam valley is a dense forest area. The valley has apple orchards and terraced fields where potato is grown extensively.

There is a temple of Jateshwara Mahadeva (जटेश्वर महादेव) in Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh.

Tej Ram Sharma writes that the Nepala valley originally contained a lake called Naga Basa or Kalihrada, in which lived Naga Karkotaka. It was fourteen miles in length and four miles in breadth

The former name of Nepala was Slesmatakavana. The famous temple of Pasupatinatha on the western bank of the Bagmati river, is situated about three miles north west of Kathmandu in the town of Devipatan said to have been founded by Asoka's daughter Carumati. The Saktisangama Tantra describes the country of Nepala as placed between Jaṭesvara and Yogini. Sircar equates Yoginipura with Delhi and Jatesvara with Jalpesvara, the famous Siva of the Jalpaiguri district in North Bengal.

Jateshwara: The Nagavanshi King

Bilaigarh Plates of Prithvideva II : Kalachuri year 896 (1144 AD)

Reference - Corpus Inscriptionium Indicarium Vol IV Part 2 Inscriptions of the Kalachuri-Chedi Era, Vasudev Vishnu Mirashi, 1905, p. 551-554

This inscription is of Prithvideva II from Kalachuris of Ratanpur mentions about a Naga Ruler named Jateshwara in Chakrakota.

It gives the interesting information that Prithvïdëva II filled the contemporary Ganga king with anxiety when he devastated Chakrakota, as the Ganga king realised that the only way to save his life was to cross the ocean. Chakrakota bas been identified with the central portion of the former Bastar State. The name probably survives in the present Chitrakuta, about 30 miles north by west of Jagdalpur, the capital of the former Bastar State. The Ganga adversary of Prithvïdëva II is not named, but as the devastation of Chakrakôta had taken place some time before 1144-45 AC, when the present grant was made, it must have occurred during the reign of Anantavarman-Chôdaganga. This mighty Ganga Emperor had invaded the Kalachuri kingdom towards the close of the reign of Ratnadëva II, but he suffered an ignominious defeat. Soon after his accession Prithvidëva II seems to have attacked and devastated Chakrakôta. The Rajim stone inscription, dated in the same year as the present grant, viz , K 896, states that Jagapāla conquered Kākayara, modem Kānker, which borders the former Bastar State on the north, during the reign of Prithvïdëva II. The Kalachuri kings were often at war with the Naga rulers of Chakrakôta. Prithvïdëva II's grandfather Jâjalladëva I had taken the Nâga king Sômêsvara prisoner and released him only at the intercession of his mother. The history of the Nâga kingdom of Chakrakôta is still enveloped in obscurity. Sômësvara was succeeded by Kanharadëva who was reigning 1111 AC. His successor, whose name is still unknown, must have been the adversary of Prithvïdëva II.

Prithvïdëva II's devastation of Chakrakôta is said to have struck terror in the heart of Anantavarman-Chôdaganga, who ruled over the neighbouring kingdom of Kalinga. The Kalachuri king does not seem to have attacked the Ganga kingdom on this occasion. Jagapâla's inscnption also does not mention any victory over the Ganga king though it mentions the conquest of Bhramaravadradësa which was probably identical with the Bhramarakôtyamandala in the Nâga kingdom. Prithvïdëva invaded the Ganga territory later on during the reign of Jateśvara alias Madhukāmārnava, the son and successor of Anantavarman.

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Wiki editor notes -

• Chakrakota bas been identified with the central portion of the former Bastar State. The name probably survives in the present Chitrakot, about 30 miles north by west of Jagdalpur, the capital of the former Bastar State.

Ratanpur stone inscription of of Prithvideva II : Kalachuri year 915 (1163 AD)

Reference - Corpus Inscriptionium Indicarium Vol IV Part 2 Inscriptions of the Kalachuri-Chedi Era, Vasudev Vishnu Mirashi, 1905, p. 501

This inscription was brought to notice as early as 1825 by Sir Richard Jenkins who published a short account of it in the Asatic Researches, Vol XV, pp 504-5.

The inscription is one of Brahmadêva, a feudatory prince of Prithvïdëva II, of the Kalachuri Dynasty of Ratanpur. The object of it is to record the religious and charitable works of Brahmadêva at several places. It is dated in the year 915 (expressed in decimal figures only) of an unspecified era. This date must, of course, be referred to the Kalachuri era. The year, if expired, would correspond to 1163-64 A.C. This is the last known date^ for Prithvïdëva, for the next certain Kalachuri date 919 belongs to the reign of his successor Jâjalladëva II.

The inscription opens with the customary obeisance to Siva, which is followed by three verses invoking the blessings of the deity. The next verse describes Sesha, the lord of serpents Verses 5-8 eulogise the Talahari-mandala which is called an ornament of the earth.

The only point of historical interest mentioned in the extant portion is that he obtained a victory over Jatesvara who is evidently identical with the homonyms son of Anantavarman Chôdaganga. We are next told that Prithvïdêva, the lord of Kôsala, called him from the Talahâri-mandala, and entrusting the government of his country to him, obtained peace of mind. This Prithvïdëva is evidently the second prince of that name in the Kalachuri dynasty of Ratanpur. The next eighteen verses (22-39) describe the benefactions of Brahmadëva. He constructed a temple of Dhûrjati (Siva) at Mallâla and excavated a tank, evidently at the same place. The religions merit of the former he assigned to his lord, Prithvïdëva. Besides these, he built ten shrines of Tryambaka (Siva) and dug two lotus-ponds at some place, the name of which is lost. At Varëlâpura he constructed a grand temple of Srîkantha and at Ratnapur he built nine shrines of Parvati. At the latter place he excavated also a large step-well and two tanks, one on the north and the other on the south of the City. Several other religious and charitable works of Brahmadëva are next mentioned, viz, a tank at the village Gôṭhâlî, a temple of Dhûrjati at Nârâyanapura, tanks at Bamhanï, Charauya and Tëjallapura, a temple of Siva at Kumatâkôta and a mango-grove as well as a charitable feeding house evidently at the same place. Verse 39 records that he donated the village Lôṇâkara to the god Sômanâtha who is probably identical with the deity installed in the temple at Kumarâkôta.

The next two verses (40-41) are devoted to the description of Anantapâla of the Gauda limeage, who was a keeper of records, and his son Tribhuvanapâla who composed the present prasasti. Then are mentioned the scribe Kumârapâla and the engravers Dhanapati and Isvara (V 43-44).

As for the localities mentioned in the present inscription, Mallâla is evidently modern Mallâr, 16 miles south-east of Bilaspur. Varëlâpura or Barëlapura is Barëlâ, 10 miles south of Ratanpur. Nârâyanapura and Bamhanï still retain their names, the former is situated on the Mahànadï in the Raipur District, while the latter is 4 miles north by east of Akaltarâ. Rai Bahadur Hiralal identified Kumarâkôta with Kotgadh, but from some other records the old name of the latter appears to have been Vikarnapura. Gôṭhâlî, Chatauya and Tëjallapura cannot now be traced, but the last of these may have been situated not very far from Shëormârâyan, for it seems to hâve been founded by Tëjalladëva, a Kalachuri prince of a collateral branch, who is mentioned in an inscription at Shëormârâyan.* Finally, Talahâri mandala is probably identical with the ancient Taraḍamsaka bhukti mentioned in the Mallâr plates of Mahâ-Siva-gupta. It is highly glorified in the present inscription probably because Mallâr and other places, where Brahmadëva constructed his religious and charitable works, were included in it. It seems thus to have comprised the southern portions of the Bilaspur and Janjgir tahsils and the northern portion of the Raipur District.

Mallar stone inscription of Jajalladeva II (Kalaturi) year 919 (1167 AD)

Reference - Corpus Inscriptionium Indicarium Vol IV Part 2 Inscriptions of the Kalachuri-Chedi Era, Vasudev Vishnu Mirashi, 1905, p. 512

This inscription is on a black stone which is said to have been found at Mallār a village 16 miles south-west of Bilaspur in the tahsîl and district of Bilaspur (now in Masturi tahsil as Malhar) in Chhattisgarh.

The inscription refers itself to the reign of Jâjalladëva II of the Kalachuri Dynasty of Ratanpur. The object of it is to record the construction, at Mallâr, of a temple of Siva under the name of Kêdârabya Brâhmana named Sômarâja. It is dated in the year 919 (expressed in decimal figures only) of an unspecified era. The date must, of course be referred to the Kalachuri era. The year, expired would correspond to 1167-68 A.C.

After two mangal-slôkas invoking the blessings of Siva and Ganapati, the inscription describes Ratnadëva as a fierce cloud which extinguished the continuously raging flames of the spreading mighty fire of the valour of the king Chôdaganga.' This plainly refers to the victory of Ratnadëva II over Anantavarman - Chôdaganga, the mighty king of Kalinga. We are next told that Ratnadëva (II) had a son named Prithvïdêva (II), whose son Jâjalladëva (II) was ruling when the present record was put up

The inscription next gives the genealogy of Sômarâja. At the village Kumbhaṭî in Madhya-desa (Middle Country) watered by the celestial river (Gangâ), there lived a Brâhmana named Prïthvïdhara of Krishnâtrëya gotra with pravaras Atrëya, Ārchanânasa and Syavasva. His son Gangâdhara came, in course of time, to the country of Tummâna where he was honoured by Ratnadêva II with the gift of the village Kôsambï Gangâdhara's son, Sômarâja was proficient in both the Mîmâmsâs, the Nyâya and Varsësesika systems, and refuted the doctrines of the Charvakas, Bauddhas and Jainas. He constructed a temple of the god Këdara at Mallâla, at which the present inscription was evidently put up. The record was composed by Ratnasimha, the son of name, who belonged to the Vâstavya family and owed his rise to the llustnous Râghava. The latter is evidently identical with the homonymous astrologer who is mentioned as one of the donees in the Amôda plates of Jâjalladëva II. Both Mame and Ratnasimha are mentioned in the Ratanpur stone inscription of the reign of Prithvïdëva II, dated V 1207, which was composed by Ratnasimha's son Dëvagana. The present record was written on the stone by the Kshatriya Kumârapâla of the race of Sahasrâijuna, who, as already stated, is named as the scribe in several other records. It was incised by the sculptor Sâmpuia.

Of the geographical names mentioned here, Madhya-dësa roughly corresponds to the present Uttar Pradesh. Kumbhatî can not be identified. Tunamâna has already been shown to be identical with Tumân, 16 miles north-east of Ratanpur. Mallâla is clearly Mallâr (Malhar) in Masturi tahsil of Bilaspur district, where the stone is said to have been found. There is no Village in the Bilaspur District exactly correspond mg to Kôsamvî or Kôsambï, but if Kôsamvi of the text is a mistake for Kosandhï, the village would be represented by Kôsamdih, 8 miles from Mallâr.

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Wiki editor note -

• Kosamdih - Village at present is in (Sarangarh tahsil in Raigarh district in Chhattisgarh.

• Tumân - The ruins of capital of Kalacuris Tuman can be still seen in north-west of Laafaagadh Jamindari (Kota tahsil) in present Bilaspur district. Lufa or Lapha town in in north of Pali town.

References

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