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398
N. P. JOSHI
va.
One of the figures (Acc. No. 0.106) bears a Hindi inscription giving three couplets only. The characters are somewhat cursive but distinct. The couplets convey a few teachings only but do not have any information of historical or cultural significance.
The epigraphs generally appear on the back side of the image. They ordinarily start vertically from the left side and open with the date in Vikrama era. If the epigraph is long enough every available space has been used for engraving the letters but not always necessary in running lines. Very often space has been saved by taking recourse to abbreviations such as
for ‘mahanta' or 'pradhāna mehatā' meaning thereby
the chief of the clan. bhā. bhāryā, wife.
varsa, year. Sam. Samvata, Vikrama year. kā. Kāritam, caused to be made. pra. pratisthitam, installed. je. the month of Jyestha.
the month Phālguna.
vadya or vadi, the dark fortnight. Su.
Sukravāsara, Friday. Śre. Śreșthi, the merchant.
The oldest of the lot is the Caturvimšatika patta (Acc. No. 0.97, Fig. 1), which comes to the museum from Haridwāra and has already been published by Shri Hiranand Shastri. Many of the figures have mainly been acquired through purchase and therefore the style is the only available means for fixing up the provenance. A number of them appear to be coming from Central India and Rajasthan.
pha,
va.
With these opening remarks, let us now proceed to the images themselves,
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