The inscriptions on the pillars of the 7th-century Siddheswara Temple at Hemavati (Henjeru) elicit interesting facts about how education used to be promoted and supported by the Nolamba Pallavas and their predecessors.
Built by Nolamba rulers under the lordship of Pallavas between the 7th and 10th centuries for the propagation of Shaivism, the regions around the temples built in those days promoted education in a very passionate manner.
Historian Mynaswamy explains that the inscription on the big pillar in front of Hemavati Siddheswara temple, 34 km from Madakasira in Sri Satya Sai district, contains details of the Nolamba Pallava clan, the religious dharma followed by the Nolamba kings, and the educational system implemented.
“Iriva Nolamba Diliparaja ruled from 940 to 969 AD and promoted education by donating lands to support teachers, providing food for students and constructing shelters for their stay,” he said.
He says the 72-line inscription on four faces has information from that era on education and the propagation of religion.
An inscription on an imposing pillar found by Britishers around Hemavati in Sanskrit and old Kannada describes Ghatikasthanas, usually built for Vedic learning by the Pallavas and all this was recorded on the four-faced pillar inscribed in January 943 AD (on Makara Sankranti) during King Dilipa Raja’s rule. From the 3rd to 9th centuries, the Pallavas attached such Ghatikasthanas in present-day Karnataka in temples to promote Vedic learning says Mr. Mynaswamy.
Mr. Mynaswamy says a treasure of information was available from the British rule era. However, very little is known to the common man today, and the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) maintains the monuments. The Endowments Department conducts pujas with the help of two archakas and annual festivals with the help of the local temple committee. Very little was being done by the Tourism Department to put it on the tourist map of the Sri Sathya Sai district or those coming from Anantapur.
“Except for a contract employee recruited by the ASI for protecting their monument, none provides credible information to the visitors on the historical aspects, Mr. Mynaswamy pointed out. The inscription on the pillar also mentions the names of Trinayana, Mangala, Simhapota, Charuponnera, Polachora, Mahendradhiraja, Ayyapadeva, Anniga Veera Nolamba, and Irivanolamba kings, who ruled over 32,000 villages in the region.
While the ASI had released funds for Lepakshi, no funds have been given for the leaking roof of the Hemavati temple and the damaged main door gates. A small museum of articles related to the Hemavati from surrounding villages has been put up in a museum on the temple premises by the ASI.
