Category:Pathiar Rock Inscriptions, Kangra valley

Pathiar Inscriptions, Kangra valley 

3rd to 2nd century BCE Brahmi and Kharoshthi inscriptions, Himachal Pradesh
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Instance of	inscription
Location	Pathiar, Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh, India
Maintained by	Archaeological Survey of India, Shimla circle
Heritage designation	Monument of National Importance
32° 08′ 17.16″ N, 76° 24′ 32.22″ E
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The Pathiar rock inscriptions, also referred to as Pathyar or Pathiyar inscriptions, are two line ancient inscriptions found in Kangra valley of Himachal Pradesh. Each line is in a different ancient Indian alphabet. It is dated to the 3rd to 2nd century BCE based on script characteristics. This inscription is often studied together with the Kanihara rock inscription of Himachal Pradesh, which too is a two line inscription in the same two alphabets. Both also have two auspicious symbols after their Brahmi line – one swastika, the other a foot print.

The two lines of Pathiar rock inscriptions say the same, but for an extra word, according to the Indologist Ph Vogel. The upper line is Brahmi and it reads "Vayulasa pukarini", followed by the auspicious symbols. The second line is in Kharoshthi alphabet, it reads "Vayulassa pukkarini". Translated, they mean "Vayulasa's lotus-pond". An extra word is present in the Kharoshthi line, and it reads "Rathin" (of "rath", as in chariot). It is unclear what this word means, and the Indologist Vogel interprets it as the surname of a family which used to be in chariot profession (in medieval era, Rathin was the surname of farmers in Kangra valley).

The cultural significance of the Pathiyar rock inscription, when considered with the nearby Kanihara inscription, is that it attests to existence of gardens with ponds in ancient India where families could donate to its sections.

A replica of the original Pathyar rock and inscription is also present in Kangra Fort museum.

This is a category about ASI monument number N-HP-25.