Thread by @Vyasonmukh

Adding useful info from #Inscription of #Gupta era (~320-550 CE) in this thread in support of सत्र (#Temple Kitchen, अन्नदान) tradition of Hindus

• Place - गढवा (Pic 1)
• Dist. - प्रयागराज, #UttarPradesh

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गढवा is a #Fort near to प्रयागराज. Ancient name of this place was भट्टग्राम.

Some 6-7 Inscriptions are found from here in #Sanskrit language. Most of them are badly damaged and so incomplete but still giving useful information.
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This गढवा #Fort houses many beautiful #Temple ruines of #Gupta era.

From this Temples, Inscriptions related to अन्नदान (सत्र) are found. They reveal that wealthy people of पाटलिपुत्र (Capital of Gupta Empire) donated a lot for sustaining this सत्र tradition.
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Among donors are noble ladies and sons of wealthy people of Pataliputra. Few others are unidentified due to the damaged condition of these Inscriptions.

Scholars believe there was a grand temple at गढवा where these activities were happening on a large scale.

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Two Inscriptions related to Chandragupta Gupta are listed below with Sanskrit text, Hindi translation and references.

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Inscription during rule of Kumaragupta (कुमारगुप्त) denotes two people named गोविन्द and लक्ष्मा (लक्ष्मी ?) of पाटलिपुत्र, have donated for sustenance of सदासत्र (24×7 अन्नदान) here.

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In another Inscription, from era of कुमारगुप्त, along with coins (दीनार), donation of सुवर्ण (Gold) are also mentioned.

These donations were aimed to provide and keeping tradition of सदासत्र alive.

To sustain this tradition, even भूमि was also donated.

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Following 2 imp. take aways from these Inscriptions -

• Presence of a big #Temple at गढवा even before Gupta era (~ 320 CE)

• Arrangement of अन्नदान and सदासत्र in the temple by wealthy people of पाटलिपुत्र

(Pic - A water #Tank in गढवा #Fort)

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Just to put things in perspective,
1 दीनार = ~ 16 Silver #Coin (Ref. - Vasudev Upadhyay)

Taking all such donations mentioned in these Inscriptions, around 560 Silver coins were donated, along with Gold & land piece, at गढवा temple complex.

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गढवा group of #Inscription is very important evidence of a living tradition of #Temple Kitchen (सदासत्र) in #India.

Apart from these, many #धर्मशास्त्रम् sources also mention this सत्र, सदासत्र and धर्मसत्र traditions.

अन्नदान महादान 🙏.

Just come to know about this wonderful thread on गढवा (#UttarPradesh), so adding here. 👇

Another wonderful thread on गढवा (#UttarPradesh) Temple complex. 👇