14th-century Telugu inscription found at Kondaveedu Fort points to Reddy-era temple grants

A fragmentary Telugu inscription dating to the 14th period A.D. has been recovered astatine the Kondaveedu Fort successful Andhra Pradesh, offering caller grounds of the Reddy rulers’ patronage of temple worship and spiritual institutions successful the region.

The inscription is engraved connected a partially breached pillar of a dilapidated Siva temple atop Rudrapada Peak, the highest of the 42 hills that signifier the Kondaveedu elevation fort complex. Kondaveedu Fort Development Committee Convener Kalli Siva Reddy and his squad recovered it during an exploration connected Saturday.

K. Muniratnam Reddy, Director (Epigraphy), Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Mysuru, said the inscription is successful Telugu, successful a publication diagnostic of the 14th century. Though damaged and incomplete, the surviving substance appears to grounds the assistance of 4 vrittis (shares of endowed gross oregon onshore assignments) to definite Bhattulu and 2 vrittis to Virupaksha Dikshita for conducting worship successful a Lord Siva temple astatine Kondaveedu.

The inscription besides contains the invocation “Sri Kailasa Sivaya Namah” and mentions that it was engraved by “Parvatam Oubhalam Pancharamulu.” Based connected palaeographic features and the content, experts judge the grounds belongs to the play of the Reddi dynasty, which ruled ample parts of coastal Andhra during the 14th century.

Mr. Siva Reddy said the inscription was connected the pillar of a Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) successful beforehand of the sanctum of a ruined Siva temple. Of the 2 Siva temples connected Rudrapada Peak, 1 has been astir wholly destroyed, leaving lone the sanctum standing. He alleged that amerciable digging and vandalism implicit the years had contributed to the deterioration of the monuments.

Rudrapada Peak, aboriginal known arsenic Adam Shafi Bodu nether Muslim rule, continues to pull some Hindu and Muslim devotees. Besides the ineffable Rudrapada footprint shrine, the elevation houses a tiny dargah visited regularly by devotees.

Based connected humanities references and the quality of temple endowments mentioned successful the inscription, researchers fishy the assistance whitethorn person been issued during the reign of either Anavema Reddy oregon Pedakomati Vema Reddy, 2 salient rulers of the Kondaveedu Reddi kingdom. Historical records picture Anavema Reddy arsenic a devout Saivite who promoted regular temple worship and restored the Pancharama temples. Kondaveedu Kaifiyat records besides notation donations by Pedakomati Vema Reddy to the adjacent Bollumora Venkateswara Swamy temple.

ASI experts said the nonstop ruler and the day of the assistance tin beryllium established lone aft the missing information of the inscription is examined. The publication benignant inactive points to the Reddy period.

Mr. Siva Reddy said galore unidentified inscriptions stay scattered crossed Kondaveedu Fort, and called connected the ASI to depute a squad to document, transcript and survey them systematically.

He recalled that successful 2024 helium had brought to airy 5 antecedently undocumented inscriptions astatine Kondaveedu Fort, including 1 from the reign of Pedakomati Vema Reddy.