Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v2.c21.s2.t2.21

v2.c21.s2.t2.21

The most prominent person on such occasions was the *rāja-guru* or royal-priest. That he conducted the ceremony is evident from inscriptions and literature. We are told that Veṅkaṭapati Dēva Rāya was anointed to the throne by Tātācārya, "the *guru* of his own *gōtra*, and other chief-Brahmans", in a copper-plate grant dated A. D. 1587.² This is repeated in another copper-plate grant dated A. D. 1589,³ and again in A. D. 1602-3.⁴