Wakankar Shodh Sansthan
Wakankar Shodh Sansthan, Ujjain, M. P., has a collection of some 140 epigraphs in Brahmi and Devnagari scripts. Dr. V. S. Wakankar, the founder of the Shodh Sansthan had copied these during his whirlwind tours of remote places.
Some of these have already been published; Dr. J. N. Dubey and Dr. Bhagwatilal Rajpurohit at the Wakankar Shodh Sansthan are deciphering others.
Ten of the erstwhile, unpublished epigraphs are being presented here for the benefit of scholars in this field.
Stone inscriptions found behind the Ranjit Hanuman temple, Ujjain from the period of 2 B. C.; These are single line epigraphs attributed to the period of "Pushyamitra", the army chief of Shungas.
A Prakrit inscription on the pillar at Anvaleshwar near Dashpur (Mandsaur, M. P.) discovered by Dr. Jagdishchandra Joshi and deciphered by Dr. Wakankar. This also belongs to 2 B. C. This is being ascribed to "Shasputra Tapusen", a ruler who was a firm believer of Bhagwatdharma. This is a fourteen-line inscription.
Another inscription from Anvaleshwar is a Sanskrit inscription found on the lower part of the pillar head. This has 6 lines total and 4 lines on the left of the write-up. It describes the construction of Udken (water reservoir) by "Vikramaditya". The left side portion refers to Dashpur and Puga within Dashpur.
A stone inscription was found by a farmer, while digging a well in 1987 in the village of Setkhedi in Shajapur district of Madhya Pradesh. The importance of this inscription lies in the fact that this is the first of the inscriptions found in Southern Malwa belonging to Shak Kshatrap Ruler "Vishwasinh" (28 B. C.). This is in Brahmi script and now placed in the district archeological Museum at Shajapur. This also refers to the construction of a well. In the Kotravihar region of Narsinhgad, on the walls of a Masjid, was found an epigraph a combination of Sanskrit and Brahmi and Devnagari. This belongs to the 7th-8th Century and is devoted to the praise of Gautum Buddha. This appears to be a portion of a Chaitya. Kotara in those days was known to be a Buddhist Center.
A stone inscription found near Mandsaur, describes in Brahmi and Sanskrit the valour of "Gopisinh", the son of Duttasinh (7th century). Also described is the construction of a temple.
An epigraph at Mahankal temple, Ujjain describes the worship of Mahankal after taking a holy dip in the Kshipra on the occasion of the victory of "Turushka" by Parmar King "Bhoj" (11th Century). This is in Devnagari Script.
A Vikram era epigraph of Ujjain is in Devnagari and describes the valour of "Vikramaditya". He is described as a protector akin to Indra. And the Earth owes its existence to him and who is a Kalpadrum of Success.
An 11th century inscription found near Mahankal temple and belonging to the 11th Century describes in Devnagari script, Sanskrit poems and the greatness of Saraswat Kavi.
On the southern door of Mahankal is a Malwi 18th Century inscription naming Shiva and Ghatiji and another referring Gajadhar Liladharji’s son Bhalchandraji. Probably these two were responsible for the reconstruction of the temple. This is the period of "Ranoji Shinde." These may also be the names of architects of the reconstruction activity.
