356 V. A, Smith & W. Hoey— Ancient Buddhist Statuettes [No. 2, 
Tins inscription is recorded on two plates, which are now the pro¬ 
perty of Dr. Hoey. (Plate VII.) Each plate is about 13J inches long 
by 10^ broad. The plates were formerly connected by a seal which has 
been lost. A hole for the attachment of the seal is pierced at the bot¬ 
tom of the first, and at the top of the second plate, so that the plates 
should lie back to back. Copper rivets, some of which still remain, 
were also inserted in the edges of each plate. These seem to have been 
intended to attach each plate separately td a wall, and were probably 
inserted after the loss of the seal. 
The inscription on the first plate consists of 17 lines, of which the 
first four are interrupted in the middle by the insertion of a rude sketch 
of the four-armed goddess Laksmi, with an elephant on each side 
sprinkling her. 1 The date occurs in the thirteenth line. The last two 
lines are interrupted in the middle by the hole for the seal. 
The inscription on the second plate consists of 18 lines, of which 
the first two are interrupted in the middle by the hole for the seal. 
The characters are those usual in the Candella inscriptions of the 
period. The record, though not protected by raised edges to the plates, 
is in good preservation, and every letter is legible. 
The purpose of the inscription is to record the gift, on the usual 
terms, of a village named Hand ini-gram a, in the district of Nandavana, 
to the senapati, fri Madana-pala-^armman, who is described as a Bhatta 
of Naugava ; a member of the Krsnatreya gotra , son of Thakkura (^rl 
Malie^vara, grandson of Thakkura prl Bhonapala, and great grandson 
of Thakkura fri Tihunapala. The gift is recited to have been made at 
CrI Bilasa-pura on the fifteenth day of the bright half of the month 
Sravana, at the time of an eclipse of the moon, in the year 1228 (Vikra- 
ma), = A. D. 1177. The donor was Parama bhattdraka , mahdrdjddhirdja 7 
puramegvara, paramamahegvara Cri Kalanjarddhipati Crhnat Paramarddi- 
deva , who was the successor of Madana-varmma-deva, who was the 
successor of Prthivl-varmma-deva. 
The modern village, Handan Deo, a few miles distant from DhanI 
Khera where the copper-plates were found, probably represents the 
Nandini-grama of the inscription. It is visited by pilgrims, but Dr. 
Hoey had not an opportunity of inspecting the place and learning fur¬ 
ther particulars. Bilasa-pura, where the grant was made, has not been 
identified. 
The copper-plate now published is the fourth Candella inscription 
on copper known to exist. Two plates found at Nunaura (Nanyaura) 
% 
1 The same device is inserted in the Augasi copper-plate of Madana-varman, 
grandfather and immediate predecessor of Paramardi-deva (J. A. 8., B., Yol. XLV1I, 
Pt. I, p. 73). 
