2026-06-15 Mon

Nolambas served as important feudatories and local rulers in the Deccan region i.e. Andhara, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu rulers. They ruled parts of southeastern Karnataka, western Andhra Pradesh, and northern Tamil Nadu from c. ~735–1052/1055.

The kingdom known as Nolambavadi, covered areas of modern Tumkuru, Chitradurga, Kolar, parts of rural Bangaluru, Anantapur, Chittoor, and extended into Dharmapuri (Salem) in Tamil Nadu. Initially Chitradurga, later Hemavati (Henjeru) in present-day Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh was their most prominent capital and a site with many inscriptions and temples.

The Nolambas primarily issued gold punch-marked coins, known as Gadyana (or Gadayana) / Pagoda, which are among the notable examples of medieval South Indian coinage.

Primarily, the coin are punch-marked and uniface = the reverse is usually blank or minimally marked.

Common Motifs of the punches are seated or recumbent Nandi - often 4 or 5 punches, Kannada legend: "Nolam(ba)", "Nanni", or "Shri", Lotus flower (sometimes in the center), and symbols like Sri (twice), axe-goad (ankusha), sun & moon, or stylized animals.

The above unpublished Gadyana has on obverse, 5x punches of Nandi, Sun and Crescent symbols above, 2 punches “Sri”, and a punch of Elephant goad (Ankush), and also a punch “ka ra” perhaps latter half of the title Chaladankakara. Chaladankakara is a title of Nanni Nolamba I.