Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v2.c23.s3.37

v2.c23.s3.37

Some conjecture has been made as regards the place from where people ate their meals.³ We may however rely on the evidence of epigraphs on this question. In the generality of cases, according to the ancient traditions, leaves were used while eating food, although the people were not ignorant of plates. An inscription Śaka 1446 (A. D. 1524-5) informs us that in the times of Tirumala Dēva Mahārāya, Sūraparāja, Agent of Vākiṭi Āḍeppa Nāyingāru, freed the *Tammaḷa* servants of the temple of Sōmēśvara at Gōraṇṭla from supplying leaves (used in eating food) to that temple free of cost, on condition that they repaired the temple, built the Sikhara, and constructed a compound wall of mud.¹ So late as A. D. 1680 or thereabouts certain Gaudas built a village called Bayaṭānagere at the place where the leaves on which they ate their food fell.²