230: N.N. Vasu—Copper-plate inscription of Nrsimha-déva II.‘ [No. 3, 
ference exhibiting a Tri-cila,! an Ankuga,? a Damaru,’ a crescent and 
the solar orb. 
The plates are each 13} inches long, 82 inches broad and 2+ inch 
thick. The circumference of the ring is 5} inches and its thickness $ 
inch. The circumference of the lotus-seat is 43 inches. The ox is 4 
inches long and its height is 3} inches. The letters are ¢ inch in length 
each. On the 11 sides of these plates there are 209 lines, and each line is 
about 123 inches long. The holes made in these plates for stringing 
them together are an inch in diameter. The four lines engraved on the 
sides of these holes, are 10 inches long. 
Not far from the spot where the box mentioned above was found 
there is a large tank: and close to this tank is a newly built temple 
dedicated to Laksmi-narayana. The box was placed in this temple. 
Close to the heap of stones under which it was obtained, there were 
three more heaps in a loose condition. From each of these was ob- 
tained a copper vessel. On the discovery of these copper vessels, the 
older inhabitants of the locality surmised that the three stone-heaps 
were the ruins of three stone-built temples, and that one of these 
temples contained the image of Laksmi-narayana. After the demoli- 
tion of that temple, it is said that the image was kept underneath a tree. 
After some time, a rich man of the place, built the present temple out of 
the rnins of the old ones, and placed the image of Laksmi-narayana in it. 
On the lotus-seat of the image are inscribed two lines. The shape of the 
characters engraved on the copper-plates being exactly similar to that 
of the lines under reference; it has been conjectured by some that, the 
image of Liaksmi-narayana and the three old temples now in ruins have 
some ‘connexion with the copper-plates. But so far as I have seen, 
there is nothing in these plates to support the conjecture, — | 
The present copper-plate is a grant of Narasimha-déva IL lane 
of Utkala, dated Monday, 6th tithi of the bright half of the Simha 
(4. e., Bhadra) month, in the Caka year Wis 19th September, 1295 A, D., 
in the 21st year of his reign. - _ 
._.. There, is, however, a complete agreement netgear the verses of 
the- two copper-plates of Nrsimha-déva IV, (from Plate I—IV) 4 up to 
aspifatet eet with the first 94 verses of the present grant, except line 
23rd of Plate LV of the second grant by the above king marked B. Of 
course, there are varie lectiones owing either to the carelessness bf the 
engraver Or to wrong decipherment. , 3 
L Trident of afaha-déva. 
"2 An elephant goad. : 
8 A musical instrument used by Maha-déva. ~~~ 
 @See J. A. S. B. for 1895, Pt.-I., p..133-144. — 
