Goda Ravi


Goda Ravi was a Chera Perumal king of medieval Kerala, southern India. The reign of Goda Ravi witnessed strengthened Chera ties with the Cholas, as numerous Kerala military personnel served under the Chola prince Rajaditya in the Tamil country.
Temple inscriptions mentioning Goda Ravi have been discovered in central Kerala and north-central Kerala. These records refer, among other things, to several Chera royals, the chieftains of Vembanadu and Valluvanadu, and the so-called "Agreement of Muzhikkulam". It is also known that the deposed Pandya ruler, Rajasimha II, took refuge with the Cheras or Keralas around 920 AD.
Goda Ravi was formerly identified with king Vijayaraga of the medieval Chera dynasty of Kerala. He was also initially identified as the brother-in-law of Pandya ruler Jatavarman Kulasekhara Deva I.

Coronation year

An inscription mentioning Goda Ravi from Nedumpuram Thali, Wadakkanchery, is one of rare Chera Perumal inscriptions that record both the regnal year and another era simultaneously — the regnal year appears at the beginning and the Kali Year at the end. Recent interpretations suggest that the temple committee met and approved the land grant in the 17th regnal year of Goda Ravi, when Jupiter was in Mithuna, while the inscription currently available was commissioned later, corresponding to Kali Year 4030.
Kali YearCorresponding YearPosition of JupiterInterpretationCoronation Year
A. G. Warrier'nālāyirattumuppatu'
929/30 ADJupiter in Makaram912 AD
Elamkulam P. N. K. Pillai'nālāyirattumuppat.'
934 ADJupiter in Mithuna917 AD
M. G. S. Narayanan'nālāyirattumoppatu'
900 ADJupiter in Mithuna883 AD
Present view'nālāyirattumuppatu'
= 929/30 AD
922 AD Jupiter in Mithuna905/06 AD
Present view'nālāyirattumuppatu'
= 929/30 AD
929/30 AD Jupiter not in Mithuna

Epigraphic records

''Note: Material—granite; Script—Vattezhuthu with some Grantha characters; Language—old Malayalam.''