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Hinduism - Who Was Dhanga, The Emperor Of The Chandella Dynasty?



(died in 1003) A Chandella dynasty emperor who is most known for drowning himself at Allahabad, at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers, in order to commit religious suicide. 

Dhanga committed himself at the conclusion of his life, after he had lived more than a hundred years, while meditating on the deity Rudra, a form of Shiva, according to the inscription, and that by doing so, Dhanga obtained full emancipation of the soul (moksha). 

This description clearly demonstrates that religious suicide was a carefully orchestrated religious act with the goal of assisting the actor in dying calmly and composedly, preferably with one's final thoughts concentrated on a god. 

The declaration of intent (samkalpa), in which the actor stated the benefit intended from his performance, was an important part of this ceremony. 

Because this claim cannot be verified in any other manner, Dhanga's declaration of intent is probably definitely the foundation for his claim that he obtained full emancipation. 



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