The Dynastic History of Northern India (Early Mediaeval Period) v1.c16.125

v1.c16.125

(4) *Badal pillar inscription.*—Found incised on a stone monolith at a distance of 3 miles from Badal in Dinajpur district, Northern Bengal. It contains 29 lines. Characters are well engraved and skilfully formed. The first 28 lines are in Sanskrit verse. The proper object of the inscription was to record in verses 27-28 the erection of a *Garuḍa-stambha*, *i.e.*, a pillar bearing on its top a figure of the mythical bird Garuḍa, by the Brahman Gurava Miśra, who was a minister of Nārāyaṇapāla. But the epigraph is really a panegyric on Gurava Miśra and his ancestors, who served as counsellors and ministers of the Pālas from Dharmapāla to Nārāyaṇapāla. Kielhorn had suggested that this Gurava is identical with the *Bhaṭṭa* Gurava mentioned as the *Dūtaka* of the Bhagalpur grant. The inscription was incised by *Sūtradhāra* Viṣṇubhadra. The upper part of the pillar with the figure of 'the foe of the serpents' is broken off and is now missing.² (5) *Uddaṇḍapura image-inscription.*—The inscription is incised on a brass image of Pārvatī. It is a votive inscription, and runs as follows: "The pious gift of Thāruka, son of Rāṇaka Ucha (Utsa), resident of Uddaṇḍapura (mod. town of Bihar), in the 54th year of the reign of the illustrious Nārāyaṇapāladeva."¹