According to categories of land mentioned in Chola inscriptions, which type of land was specifically known as land gifted to temples?

Introduction / Context:
Chola inscriptions from South India provide detailed information about land categories and revenue arrangements. Different terms were used for land granted to Brahmins, to temples, or to other beneficiaries. This question asks which specific category described land that was gifted directly to temples, an important feature of the temple centred economy and culture in the Chola period.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- The context is the Chola dynasty in South India. - The question refers to terms found in inscriptions for different land categories. - The options include Vellanvagai, Brahmadeya, Shalabhoga, and Devadana. - We assume standard meanings as given in South Indian epigraphic studies.

Concept / Approach:
The word Devadana literally means gift to a deity. In practice, Devadana land was dedicated to temples and used to support rituals, maintenance, and the temple staff. Brahmadeya, by contrast, was land gifted to a Brahmin or group of Brahmins. Vellanvagai generally referred to land of non Brahmin peasant proprietors. Shalabhoga is also connected with land grants but not as specifically the main term for temple land. To answer correctly, we need to match each technical term with its most widely accepted meaning and pick the one that clearly fits land gifted to temples.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Chola inscriptions categorised land according to who owned it and how it was used. Step 2: Identify Devadana as land given to a deity, that is, to the temple as an institution. Step 3: Recognise that Brahmadeya stands for land grants to Brahmins, often tax free villages or plots. Step 4: Vellanvagai is associated more with ordinary cultivable land held by non Brahmin peasants. Step 5: Shalabhoga can indicate land for maintenance of certain services, but the standard and clear temple gift term is Devadana. Step 6: Therefore, the correct answer is Devadana.

Verification / Alternative check:
Epigraphic glossaries and studies of Chola land revenue repeatedly define Devadana as land entrusted to the temple deity and managed by temple authorities or local bodies on behalf of the deity. Such land provided resources for offerings, festivals, and upkeep. Brahmadeya is consistently explained as Brahmin land grants and is treated separately in inscriptions. This distinction confirms that Devadana is the precise term for temple gifted land in Chola records.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Vellanvagai: Refers to land of ordinary peasant cultivators and is not specifically a temple grant category.
Brahmadeya: Denotes land given to Brahmins, often with revenue privileges, not directly to temples as institutions.
Shalabhoga: While associated with certain service or maintenance lands, it is not the standard technical label for general temple gifted land in Chola epigraphy.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse Brahmadeya and Devadana because both relate to religious contexts. The key difference is that Brahmadeya concerns grants to Brahmins, whereas Devadana concerns gifts to temples as corporate religious institutions. Keeping these definitions separate in memory helps in answering many South Indian history questions accurately.

Final Answer:
In Chola inscriptions, land gifted to temples was known as Devadana.