Documenta Nepalica

Documents on the History of Religion and Law of Pre-modern Nepal

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A votive inscription on the back of Buṅgadyaḥ's palanquin recording its donation by Rameśa Maharjana et al. (NS 1141)

ID: NHDP_0001_0169

Edited and translated by Simon Cubelic and Rajan Khatiwoda
Created: 2023-10-11; Last modified: 2024-12-06
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Published by Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities: Documents on the History of Religion and Law of Pre-modern Nepal, Heidelberg, Germany, 2024. The image(s) on which this edition is based on is/are published under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (CC BY-SA 4.0) and the copyright lies with NHDP. All use of the digital facsimiles requires prior written permission by the copyright holder. See Terms of Use.
The accompanying edition, translation/synopsis and/or commentary are available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

Abstract

The inscription records the details of the donation of Buṅgadyaḥ's palanquin (khata): Rameśa and Saritā Maharjana and their family with the help of the bhindyaḥpūjā group gilded the copper objects provided by Dila Mohana and Herā Śobhā Tāmrākāra and their family. The object was offered on the occasion of Buṅgadyaḥ's bathing ceremony (nhavaṃ).

Diplomatic edition

[1]

1श्रीकरुणामय्‌शरण
2श्रयोदस्तुल.पु.म.न.पा.वडानं.७पिलाछेँत्व़ायारमेशमहर्जन , सरितामहर्जनयाकाय्‌भौरिकेन , वर्षाम्ह्याय्‌ज्व़ाईपिंरिना , अजयव़रिजु , सुदिपछय्‌पिंअदिना , श्रीषा , शुभिर
3छेँज:पिंपाखेँलुँसियाबुंगद्योयातदेछानागुजुल।
4ल.पु.म.न.पा.वडानं.१२चक्रवहिलत्व़ायादिलमोहनताम्राकार , हेराशोभाताम्राकारयाकाय्‌भौपिँमनिष , बिन्दुव़भुषन , सम्झनाम्हायाय.ज्वाईशर्मिला , राजेश , छयपिं , तोषिश
5युस्ना , जेजलिन , प्रिशियस , निश्रीतिछेँज:पिँपाखेँवुंगद्योयाखतेमागुसिजयाज्व़लंदकोनेपालसम्वत्‌११४१चौलागापारुबुधवारबुंगद्योन्हवंदिनसदेछानागुजुलशुभम्‌¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯ ¯¯¯।
6सिजयाज्यायानालुँसियागुनज्यालामकासेग्व़ाहालीया:पिंभिन्द्योपुजाग्रुपहौग:कोठुझोछेँवडानं.१२ इतिसम्वत्‌२०७८सालवैशाख१५गते

Translation

[1r]

[Our] refugee [is] glorious Karuṇāmaya! May there be auspiciousness. Rameśa Maharjana and Saritā Maharjana (living in the Pilāchẽ quarter, ward no. 7 of Lalitpur Metropolitan City), their son Rikena [and] daughter-in-law Varṣā, their daughters [and] sons-in-law Rinā [and] Ajaya and Riju [and] Sudipa, [and] their grandchildren Adinā, Śrīṣā [and] Śubhira—all these family members—gilded [this object] and offered it to Buṅgadyaḥ (text: Buṅgadyo). Dila Mohana Tāmrākāra and Herā Śobhā Tāmrākāra (living at Cakrabahila, ward no. 12 of Lalitpur Metropolitan City), their sons and daughters-in-law Maniṣa [and] Bindu and Bhuṣana [and] Samjhanā, their daughter [and] son-in-law Śarmilā and Rājeśa, their grandsons Toṣiśa, Yusnā, Jejalina, Priśiyasa [and] Niśrīti—all these family members—offered all copper objects required for the palanquin (khata) of Buṅgadyaḥ (text: Buṅgadyo) on Wednesday, the first of the dark fortnight of Caulā in the Nepāla era year 1141 (2021 CE), the day of the bathing ceremony (nhavaṃ). Auspiciousness! The bhindyaḥpūjā (text: bhindyopujā) group at Koṭhu Jhochẽ, Haugaḥ, ward no. 12, helped in gilding and the copper work without taking wages. The 15th solar day of Vaiśākha in the [Vikrama era] year 2078 (2021 CE).

Commentary

The inscription is engraved on a gilt copper panel affixed to the back of the palanquin (khata) used for transporting Buṅgadyaḥ. The palanquin is mainly used on the following occasions: carrying the deity from the temple in Buṅgamatī to Taḥ Bāhāḥ, from Taḥ Bāhāḥ to Lagankhel for the bathing ceremony (New. nhavaṃ, Skt. mahāsnāna) and back to Taḥ Bāhāḥ, from Taḥ Bāhāḥ to Pulchowk (where it is placed on the chariot) and, once the chariot procession is completed, from Jawalakhel to Buṅgamatī. Another inscription is engraved on the outside of the upturned edges of the palanquin's roof and records the roof's sponsorship five years earlier by several of the persons mentioned here (cf. NHDP_0001_0170).