Newly Discovered Gaddhegal Stones from Maharashtra: An Analysis of Imprecations and Engraved Illustrations

Gaddhegal or the Ass Curse Stele is a rock edict that has peculiar auspicious features like sun, moon and kalasha. The auspicious symbols ensure perpetuity of the grant and bestow prosperity upon the grantee. It also depicts an image of donkeys and women in an act of sexual congress. The ass curse imagery engraved on these rock edicts suggests a warning to the transgressor of the grant. The inscriptions if any, engraved on them register land grants. While working on the dissertation ‘Rekindling the History of Shilaharas of North Kokan as Gleaned through the Recent Epigraphical Revelations’ under the Justice K T Telang Fellowship of the Asiatic Society of Mumbai, my attention was drawn towards this unique stone. Large number of Gaddhegal stones have been studied for the important epigraphical data engraved on them. However Ass Curse as engraved illustrations and the imprecations as text necessitated more attention and analysis. This paper will attempt to analyze the imprecations with the help of thirty four new Gaddhegal stones.

Gaddhegal or the Ass Curse Stele is a rock edict that has peculiar auspicious features like sun, moon and kalasha. The auspicious symbols ensure perpetuity of the grant and bestow prosperity upon the grantee. It also depicts an image of donkeys and women in an act of sexual congress. The ass curse imagery engraved on these rock edicts suggests a warning to the transgressor of the grant. The inscriptions if any, engraved on them register land grants. While working on the dissertation ‘Rekindling the History of Shilaharas of North Kokan as Gleaned through the Recent Epigraphical Revelations’ under the Justice K T Telang Fellowship of the Asiatic Society of Mumbai, my attention was drawn towards this unique stone. Large number of Gaddhegal stones have been studied for the important epigraphical data engraved on them. However Ass Curse as engraved illustrations and the imprecations as text necessitated more attention and analysis. This paper will attempt to analyze the imprecations with the help of thirty four new Gaddhegal stones.