The old capital of the Western Gangas, on the Kaveri bend south-east of Mysuru, taken from the Chola governors by Vishnuvardhana in 1116-17; he built the Kirtinarayana temple here in memory of it (Wikipedia, Hoysala Empire; the temple we did not re-check).
The Vaidyeshwara temple is the old Shaiva centre. The town sits on the main river crossing between the Hoysala plateau and the Kongu and Chola country, so it is the garrison seat of the south.
Who holds it
- Name
- Veera Ballala II, through the governor of Gangavadi (not named in anything we read)
- Title
- lord or governor
- Confidence
- low
Lord in 1200
Veera Ballala II, through the governor of Gangavadi (not named in anything we read)
What the town holds
Won from the Chola governors by Vishnuvardhana in 1116-17.
Allies and rivals
The Chola frontier lies beyond Kongu; the peace is by marriage.
How things stand that morning
Hoysala since 1116-17. The Chola peace of 1187-88 holds; the garrison is held back from the border for now.
Wealth
Tolls and rice; no figure.
Military
Garrison of the governor of Gangavadi; no numbers.
Communities
Brahmin temple-families, Srivaishnava and Shaiva; the Kaveri boatmen and farmers
Militia
Border levies of Gangavadi under the governor; no numbers
Walls and castle
Fort and moat of the Ganga town, much of it Hoysala work; the town below
Trade and crafts
River crossing tolls, rice and sugar-cane, temple services
Places of note
- Kaveri crossing at Talakad: the river passage into Kongu
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Capture and temple are on Wikipedia; the governor and the garrison are not named.
Primary sources for Hoysala kingdom
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- Epigraphia Carnatica: inscriptions of the Mysore country, Various (Hoysala chancery and temple scribes), edited by B. Lewis Rice and R. Narasimhachar (inscriptions of the 4th to 19th centuries; the series ran from 1886 to 1905, revised from 1972). The Hoysala kingdom of Veera Ballala II (reigning 1173 to 1220) is documented almost wholly by the inscriptions in this series, arranged by district and taluk with full English translations. Read online
- Inscriptions of the Silaharas, Various (Silahara chanceries), edited by V. V. Mirashi (inscriptions of the 9th to 13th centuries; edited 1977). Collects the records of the three Silahara houses: North Konkan (Thana), South Konkan, and Kolhapur.
- Sanskrit and Old Canarese Inscriptions relating to the Yadava Kings of Devagiri, Various (Yadava chancery), edited by J. F. Fleet (inscriptions of the 12th and 13th centuries; edited 1876). The first collected edition of the Yadava (Seuna) records, with texts and translations, from the Indian Antiquary. Read online
- South Indian Inscriptions (Archaeological Survey of India), Various (Chola, Pandya and other chanceries and temple scribes), edited by E. Hultzsch, V. Venkayya, H. Krishna Sastri and successors (inscriptions of the 7th to 17th centuries; the series ran from 1890). The temple inscriptions printed here are the primary record of the Tamil country in 1200. Read online
Sources and studies
- Hoysala Empire, Wikipedia (read for this sheet)
- Veera Ballala II, Wikipedia (read for this sheet)
- Kulottunga Chola III, Wikipedia (read for this sheet)
- OMNIA board notes for the place (a lead, checked against the other sources)
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.