Historians have deciphered writings on the walls of temples describing the names and gotras (family groupings) of some Telugu rulers and the contributions made by them to the temples and towns.
Ancient inscriptions
Vishnukundina No. 1. (A. R. No. 581 of 1925) On a white marble pillar near the entrance into the temple of Ramalingasvami at Velpuru, Sattenpalli Taluk, Guntur District. Undated.
This is the only stone inscription of this dynasty so far found and it is damaged and incomplete. Only the name of the family Vishnukundi and that of a ruler Madhava Varma are legible.
Western Chalukya dynasty No. 245. On a broken pillar lying near the old Shiva temple, outside the village of Bekkallu, Jangaon Taluk, Warangal District. 11th century A.D.
Composed in Telugu verse and prose, this inscription introduces Reviraddi of the fourth caste and his son, Chamdireddi. It records that Mallireddy, the son of Reviraddi's friend Punnireddy, established a Jain temple and a trikuta (a combination of 21 shrines) in Vrekkallu, endowing them with various gifts during the reign of the Chalukya king Tribhuvanamalladeva.
No. 307. On a stone set up near the ruined Jain temple outside the village of Bairanapalli, Warangal District. A.D. 1108.
Registers the installation of the Jaina image and the gifts of a mango garden, 20 mattars of Karamba land and other lands for the repairs of the temple and feeding of the ascetics by Biramaraddi the dandanayak of the capital Bhuvanagiri and the two Karaṇams of Bekkallu. At the end of the inscription there is a lengthy description of the donor in Kannada verse wherein it is said that the donor belonged to Vitti vamsa of the raddi caste. Other gifts to the same Jinalaya by Punnireddi of Nanganuru and Reviraddi of Vellamepatla are recorded.
No. 27. (A. R. No. 596 of 1909.) On the Naga pillar in the temple of Virabhadra outside the village of Gurazala, Palnadu Taluk, same District. S. 51.
States that a Brahmin named Dara son of Kommana who was the head of Kummunuru village and who claimed to be an incarnation of the serpent king Sesha, put up a Naga-stambha in front of the temple of Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva built by himself and that Betabhupa of the Haihaya family, a dependent of Bhulo Kamalla Deva (Someshvara III) made a gift of four kharis of land to the said temple.
Eastern Chalukya dynasty No. 4. (A. R. No. 431 of 1915) On a nandi slab set up near the temple of Someshvara at Eluru, Narasaraopeta Taluk, Same District. S. 925.
Records the grant of land to god Somanathadeva by Paricheda Chikka Bhimaraju.
Chola dynasty No. 64. (A. R. No. 567 of 1925.) On a big white marble pillar set up near the dhvajastambha in the temple of Ramalingesvara, Velpuru, Sattenepalli Taluk, Guntur District. S. 1030
Records the gift of a perpetual lamp by Kota Gokaraju son of Bhima to the temple of Ramesvara of Velupuru.
Kakatiya dynasty
No. 307. On a stone set up near the ruined Jain temple outside the village.
Registers the installation of the Jaina image and the gifts of a mango garden, 20 mattars of Karamba land and other lands for the repairs of the temple and feeding of the ascetics by Biramaraddi the dandanayak of the capital Bhuvanagiri and the two Karaṇams of Bekkallu. At the end of the inscription there is a lengthy description of the donor in Kannada verse wherein it is said that the donor belonged to Vitti vamsa of the raddi caste. Other gifts to the same Jinalaya by Punnireddi of Nanganuru and Reviraddi of Vellamepatla are recorded.
No. 118. On a pillar lying near the old Mutyalamma temple
Gives the prasasti of the chief Mahasamanta Kat-reddi and records the gift of the village Nagavuramu for the amga-bhoga and rangabhoga of Lokesvara Deva of Urukonda for his father Kami-reddi`s attainment of Sivaloka.
No. 101. On a stone in the old Shiva temple near Musi river.
Records that Recherla Beti Reddi and two others granted for the anga and ranga-bhogas of Sri Swayambhu Somanatha, a tank. Betireddi constructed a kalva behind the tank.
No. 99. On a wall first from the bottom the Bhimeswara temple, dated Saka 113 Vaisakha. su. Ekadashi, sunday.
Mentions about Raja namakundu, feudatory of Recherla Rudra, who is the feudatory of Kakatiyas, donated 50 buffaloes to provide ghee for the perpetual lamp of the Shree Bhimesvaradevara, in the merit of his own parents.
No. 88. On a stone Komaresvara temple. Dated S. 1130. Vibhava, Jyestha su. 3, Monday (A.D. 1208, May 10).
This also belongs to the members of the same family. Errakkasanamma, wife of Recherla Betireddi established the temple of Erakesvara and made grants of land for the upkeep of the various parts of the temple servants, matha and conducting the worship in the temple. There was another inscription in the same place dated S. 1130, Vibhava, Jyestha su. 3, Monday. (A.D. 1208, May 9), which does not have any text. No. 395. (A. R. No. 94 of 1917.) On the huge Nandi pillar lying near the ruined temple in Malkapuram, Guntur Taluk, Guntur District. (Published in the Journal of the Andhra Historical Research Society, Vol. IV, pp. 147–64.) S. 1183. (Durmati)
Gives a detailed account of the Kakatiya family and of the foundation and pontifical succession of the Golaki-matha of the Saivas and states that king Ganapatideva promised the village of Mandara in the Velanadu-Kandravati country to his guru Visvesvara Sivacharya and that Ganapati's daughter Rudramadevi made a formal gift of that village along with the village of Velangapundi, that Visvesvara Siva established a new village with the name of Visvesvara-Golaki and peopled it with person of different castes brought from various parts of the country, that he also established the temple of Visvesvara, a Sanskrit college, a matha for Saivas, a choultry for feeding people without distinction of caste and creed, a general land a maternity hospital, besides some other things and that he made grants of land for the maintenance of all these institutions. Gives a detailed description of the administration of the trust and of the village affairs. Incidentally, it mentions a large number of other religious and charitable institutions established by Visvesvara Siva in several other places. No. 38. On a pillar in the midst of the village of Irvin, Kalwakurthy Taluk, Mahabubnagar District. 26th December, A.D. 1271.
Records a gift of land to the deity Indresvara by the mahasamanta (feudatory chief) Vavilala Rudraya reddi for the merit of his sister, Rudrasani. Issued during the reigns of Rudradeva and Immadi Bolla Reddi, the inscription is notable for mentioning matrimonial alliances between the Cheraku and Vavilala families.
Reddi Kingdom Kandukur No. 15. On a stone outside the Ramalingasvami temple at Old Chundi, Kandukur Taluk, Nellore District. Dated to the cyclic year Raktakshi, month of Chaitra, 2nd tithi.
Composed primarily in Sanskrit using Telugu characters (with the granted fields described in Telugu), this inscription provides a detailed genealogy of the Panta Reddi clan. It records that from the Panta Reddi race arose Alla (or Anna) Bhupati, a ruler who crushed his enemies. He was succeeded by his son, the victorious king Vema, who was praised for ruling so justly that he turned the Kali Yuga into a golden age (Kritayuga), and was compared to Yama in battle and Revanta in horsemanship. Vema had eleven sons, the most prominent being Malla Bhupa, who was renowned for his devotion to Lord Siva and for founding a settlement for his castemen. The inscription registers that Malla Bhupa caused a two-roomed mansion for the deity Umesvara to be constructed by the residents of Chundi town for the merit of his deceased father. Additionally, it records the perpetual grant of the village to the deity Bhimesalinga.
The Pedapalakaluru Plates. Discovered at Pedapalakaluru, Guntur District (now housed at the State Archaeological Museum, Hyderabad). 4th December, 1378 A.D. (Saka 1300).
Composed in Sanskrit and Telugu, this copper-plate grant was issued by King Anavema Reddi of the Kondavidu line during a lunar eclipse. The inscription extensively praises his lineage, tracing the origin of the Kondavidu kings to the Panta Reddi clan of the fourth caste (Chaturtha Varna). The genealogy begins with King Prola, who is said to have excelled the celestial Kalpa Vrikshas in his charity, and his queen Annambika. They had five sons, the most prominent being King Vema. Vema is highly eulogized: the inscription poetically claims that the golden mountain began to float in the sheer volume of water he poured during his charitable donations. Under his rule, Brahmins were highly encouraged to perform numerous Yajnas (sacrifices) offering Havis to satisfy the Devas. Vema granted Agraharas along the Tungabhadra, Krishna, and Godavari rivers, and built stone steps at Srigiri and Ahobilagiri, which served as his permanent pillars of victory. His son, Anavema, bearing the fierce title Virasri Jaganobba Ganda, is described as a Rudramurti whose Jaitra Bheri (victory drum) terrified enemy kings. The inscription concludes by recording Anavema's grant of the Pedapalakaluru village to the great scholar Ahobala Pandit.
The Puvvada Grant. Discovered in an old well in Tenali Taluk, Guntur District (now at the State Archaeological Museum, Hyderabad). 1346 A.D. (Saka 1268).
Composed primarily in Sanskrit using medieval Telugu characters, this five-plate copper grant was issued by King Vema Bhupala (Prolaya Vema) of the Kondavidu Reddi dynasty. The inscription details the dynasty's origins in the fourth caste (Chaturtha Varna). King Vema Bhupala, ruling from Addanki, is highly eulogized for his martial prowess, particularly through a vivid verse in the Sragdhara metre that compares his sword (Mandalagra) to Lord Shiva performing the fierce cosmic dance (Prachanda Tandava). The verse describes the nerves and intestines of slain enemy kings clinging to the blade as Shiva's flowing locks of hair (Ghana Jata). The white powder from the smashed pearls of enemy war-elephants, caked onto the sword, is likened to the sacred ash (Bhuti or Vibhuti) smeared on the deity's body. Furthermore, the metallic clashing of the blade (Jhana Jhana and Krinkrita) is compared to Shiva's loud cosmic laughter (Attahasa), and the ghosts of the fallen (Bhuta Betalas) are said to surround the sword just as the Pramatha Ganas surround the Lord.
Beyond this striking martial imagery, the king is described as "Mlecchabdikhumbodva", i.e.; a veritable Agastya who dried up the ocean of the Mlecchas (Muslim invaders). The grant also records his architectural and charitable achievements, noting that he constructed the flight of steps to the Patalaganga river at Srisailam, and that his immense charity drenched the earth, surpassing King Bali. Bearing the royal title Pallava Trinetra, the king granted the village of Puvvada (renaming it Vemapuri) to 61 learned Brahmins, dividing it into 64 shares.
Eastern Ganga No. 651. (A. R. No. 99 of 1909.) On a stone lying near Paravastu Rangacharya's house at Vizagapatam. S. 101 (h) 17th year of Ananta Varma Deva.
Records the gift of “perumbadi” (?) by the "city twelve" of Visakhapattanamu alias Kulottunga-Chodapattanamu to Matamana of Malamandala. The description of the donor is not quite intelligible. No. 675 (A. R. No. 681 of 1926.) On a pillar in the mandapa in front of the central shrine in the temple of Nilakanthesvara, Narayanapuram, Bobbili Taluk, same District. S. 1053.
Records gift of a perpetual lamp by Chodaraju Maha Devi (and another ?) to the temple of Nilisvara for the merit of Chodagangadeva. No. 727. (A. R. No. 827 of 1917.) On a stone lying at the entrance into the temple of Tumbesvara, Pratapur, Chatrapur Taluk, Ganjam District. Year missing. Incomplete.
Mentions. Ananta Varma
Gajapati