Written by london swaminathan

Date – 26th December 2019

Post No.7385

contact – swami_48@yahoo.com

pictures are taken from various sources; thanks.

Kunkuma Mahadevi was one of the early temple builders and philanthropists in the Kannada country ruled by the Chalukya Kings. She was the younger sister of Chalukya Vijayaditya (696-733 CE). She constructed a large Jaina temple at Purigere, modern Lakshmeswar, Dharwar district. She asked her brother to donate a village to a Brahmana. She performed Hiranya garba, one of the sixteen danas/ gifts . She gave gold and costly elephants and chariots to Brahmins. She married brave and generous Alupa king Chitravahana

Loka Mahadevi

Loka Mahadevi was the chief queen of the Chalukya king Vikramaditya II  of Badami. She built the famous Virupaksha temple at Pattadakkal. As a token of appreciation, she exempted the builders of that district from payment of certain taxes.

Ananda K Coomaraswamy, famous art historian, calls this temple as “one of the noblest structures in India”. She also conferred on the musicians and dancers  a number of privileges . One of these by name Achala, founded a new school of dancing.

Daanachintamani Attimabbe     

In the last quarter of the tenth century when the Chalukyan emperor Taila II was ruling, Daanachintamani became famous. She was born in a family of learned men. He father Mallappayya , a general, was a great scholar, a reputed astrologer, an excellent teacher of archery and a patron of learning.  She and her sister Gundamabbe were married to Nagadeva , Commander in chief of Chalukyan army and son of Dhallappa, the prime minister.

In one of his masters campaigns Nagadeva was killed and his second wife performed ‘sati’. Attimabbe was asked not to follow her sister because her son Annigadeva was very young.

She was a devout follower of Jainism ; she got prepared a 1000 copies of Shantinatha Purana, a Jain work written by court poet Ranna. Her help helped the poet to write an important Jain work  entitled Ajita Purana. She was held in high esteem by the Chalukyan emperor Taila and the general public.

Miracles of   Daanachintamani

A number of miracles are attributed to her. Her title Daana Chintamani – unstinting donor- was well merited is evident from the fact that she gave way 1500 golden  Jina images set with precious gem stones. From two inscriptions dated 1007 CE, found at Lakkundi, we learn that she constructed many Jain temples and donated a village for the maintenance of it.

History  syllabus of every state must include these great women. Students must be asked to collect more information from various sources. They may be asked to compare these women with other women of different states.

–subham–