Karnataka: 15th century inscription found in Kumta

MANGALURU: An inscription belonging to the 15th-16th century about donation was found at a property belonging to Mahadevi Mahadeva Patagar in Bada Gram Panchayat limits in Kumta taluk recently. The inscription is four-feet tall and two-feet wide. It has 33 lines and it is in Kannada and Tigalari scripts. Rahiman Sab L, assistant professor, History Government First Grade College, Bada, stated that the inscription is a donation inscription.
Shruthesh Acharya Moodubelle, research assistant at Pleach India Foundation, Hyderabad, who assisted in studying the inscription said the inscription speaks about the crops and rice ‘mudi’ being donated as food for Vishweshwara Swamiji and brahmins from the Ghazni region and surrounding areas. “Since the inscription is worn off at the top, there is no clarity on who donated and when was the donation made. However, based on the script it can be ascertained that this donation inscription belongs to the 15-16th century, probably belonging to the later Vijayanagar period,” Acharya said.
While the major portion of the script is in Kannada, it also has a few Tingalari scripts, he said. Bhageerata M Gowda and Bharat Gowda assisted in the study of the inscription.
Along the coast, several such stone inscriptions have surfaced recently, helping experts piece together a picture of times past.