Tenth-century inscription dating back to Ganga dynasty reign found on outskirts of Mysuru

A 10th-century inscription from the Ganga dynasty reign has been recovered wrong the Mahalingeshwara Temple astatine Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Nagar connected the outskirts of Mysuru.

The inscription, dating backmost to the clip of Butuga II, a ruler from the dynasty, was discovered connected the partition to the close and faces eastbound wrong the temple. The six-line inscription was carved connected achromatic granite which is 2 feet wide and two-and-a-half feet tall.

“This inscription, dated 948 A.D., is inscribed successful the Kannada script. It is believed that during the reign of Butuga II, his bodyguard, Maremma, whitethorn person donated the plot to the temple tax-free and entrusted its absorption to the colony main Vijaketa Gavunda. The afloat substance of the inscription cannot beryllium stated arsenic it is corrupted. However, since the inscription references ‘Vijaketa Gavunda Dise’, it tin beryllium inferred that the absorption of the plot was entrusted to Vijaketa Gavunda, the main of the village,” said a connection here.

Further, the embossed coating of the temple is symbolically engraved connected the inscription, confirming that it was a donation related to the temple, the connection added. “Since the Shiva Linga successful the Mahalingeshwara Temple, wherever the inscription was found, is successful the Ganga architectural benignant and the inscription is from the Ganga period, it tin beryllium understood that this donation is related to the Mahalingeshwara temple,” the connection further said.

An embossed sculpture of a cattle feeding its calf is besides carved astatine the extremity of the inscription, which is 1,076 years old.

After retired Deputy Commissioner of Police Shivanna informed archaeologist Prof N.S. Rangaraju, the fieldwork to observe the past inscription was started by a squad led by archaeological researcher Dr. Shashidhara C.A., and comprising inferior researcher Dr. Mariswamy R. and lensman Ramesh Patel. The fieldwork was done with the co-operation of locals aft securing indispensable support from Professor Shailendra Mohan, the Director of Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), and N.M. Talawar, the Project Director of Centre of Excellence for Studies successful Classical Kannada. Epigraphist Professor Devarakonda Reddy assisted successful the speechmaking of the inscription.