2026-08-03 Mon

On the first Monday of the sacred month of Shravan, we feature an exquisite gold coin depicting Lord Shiva with Goddess Parvati, issued during the Vijayanagara Empire under the Sangama Dynasty. Shiva, Mahesh, Rudra, Chandramauli, Gangadhara are various names given to the lord of Laya among the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh (Utpatti, Sthiti and Layakarta). Lord Shiva is, the purusha is associated with goddess Parvati the Prakriti. This togetherness brings the forms of Uma-Maheshwar, Shiva-Parvati, Purusha-Prakriti.

The Sangama Dynasty (c. 1336–1485 CE), the founding lineage of the Vijayanagara Empire, was established by the brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya I. The rulers were primarily Shaivites and ardent devotees of Lord Shiva. The Vijayanagara Empire emerged as a powerful and prosperous South Indian kingdom along the banks of the Tungabhadra River and was later ruled by four successive dynasties: Sangama, Saluva, Tuluva, and Aravidu.

Deva Raya I (r. c. 1406–1422 CE), also known as Praudha Deva Raya, was a prominent ruler of the Sangama Dynasty. The son of Harihara II, he rose to power after a succession struggle and proved to be a capable and influential emperor. The Italian traveler Niccolò Conti visited his court around 1420 CE and described the capital as grand and magnificent.

Deva Raya I strengthened imperial authority through temple construction and patronage of multiple religious traditions, including Shaiva, Vaishnava, and Jain communities. He is credited with building the Mallikarjuna Temple at Mallapangudi near Hospet and contributing to the development of the Hazara Rama Temple at Hampi.

His coinage system included gold, silver, and copper issues based on traditional South Indian weight standards such as the gold pagoda (varaha), its fractional denominations (½ and ¼), silver tara, and copper coins for everyday transactions. His gold coins are especially noted for their fine quality.

A common motif on his gold pagodas features the seated Shiva-Parvati (Uma-Maheshwara), where Shiva is shown holding attributes such as a parasu (axe), mriga (deer), or damaru (drum). Another type depicts Lakshmi-Narayana, with Vishnu holding the chakra (discus) and shankha (conch). The reverse legend typically reads “Sri Pratapa Deva Raya.”

The coin presented here is a gold varaha weighing 3.43 grams. The obverse depicts Lord Shiva seated with Goddess Parvati facing forward, while the reverse bears a three-line Devanagari legend: “Sri pra / ta pa de va / ra ya.”