Question map
Name the location of the musical inscription containing groups of musical notes arranged for the benefit of his pupils by a king in the seventh or eighth century CE. (a) Ennayiram (b) Uttarametur (c) Siyyamangalam (d) Kudumiyamalai
Explanation
The musical inscription containing groups of musical notes arranged for the benefit of pupils is located at Kudumiyamalai in the Pudukkottai district of Tamil Nadu [1]. Dating to the 7th or 8th century CE during the Pallava period, this unique rock-cut inscription is attributed to a 'musician-king' (often identified as Mahendravarman I) who was a devotee of Shiva and a pupil of Rudracharya. The inscription is written in the Grantha script and Sanskrit language, covering a large rock face near the Shikanathar temple complex [1]. It is divided into seven sections, each containing notations for stringed instruments like the seven-stringed 'Parivadini' vina. The colophon explicitly states that the king composed these musical texts to be useful to his disciples. Other options like Uttarametur are famous for village administration inscriptions rather than music.
Sources
- [1] https://ia902801.us.archive.org/34/items/kudumiyalaiinscription/KudumiyalaiInscription_text.pdf