No. 59: ON THE EAST, NORTH AND WEST WALLS OF THE CAṆḌĒŚVARA SHRINE

This and the next inscription (No. 60) are engraved on the walls of the small shrine of Caṇḍēśvara, which is situated opposite to the North entrance of the central shrine of Rājarājēśvara. No. 59 describes one diadem and nine girdles for the use of the image of Rājarājēśvara, the chief idol of the temple. These ornaments were made partly of gold and jewels from the temple treasury, and partly of pearls, which King Rājarājadēva had presented to the temple before the 29th year of his reign. A number of corals, which formed part of the ornaments, were purchased by the temple treasurers for gold, which the King had seized after conquering the Chēra King and the Pāṇḍyas (paragraphs 2, 3, 4, 9 and 11) in Malaināḍu (paragraph 3). This inscription is referred to as being engraved on the walls of the temple of Caṇḍēśvara in paragraph 1 of the inscription No. 3, which is a mere continuation of the present inscription.


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