The Aravidu Dynasty of Vijayanagara, Vol. I v1.c18.3

v1.c18.3

SRIMAD Rajadhiraja Rajaparamesvara Sri Vira Pratapa Sri Rangarayadeva Maharayalu¹ naturally succeeded his father Tirumala at the beginning of 1572. ‘Ranga was installed in the kingdom of Penukonda’, we read in the Utsur grant of Ranga III²; and in the Kuniyur plates of Venkata III we find that he ‘was crowned to the kingdom of Penukonda’³. As to the actual ceremonies of his coronation, a grant of Venkata II, 1587, informs us that he ‘anointed by his chief Brahmans’⁴; but the Mangalampad grant of the same records that he ‘was installed according to the rules by the best of the Brahmans’⁵. Both grants mention the sovereign's munificence on this occasion; and the Vellangudi plates of Venkata II even state that ‘by the gifts made by this King at the time of his coronation poverty was completely wiped out for good men” ¹. His queens were Tirumala Devi and Krishnamba ².