Telangana: 900-year-old Jain inscription found in Kolanupaka

Hyderabad: An archaeologically important inscription of the 12th century AD lies uncared at Kolanupaka, a temple town and famous Jain centre in Aler mandal, Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district according to Dr. E. Sivanagireddy, archaeologist and CEO, Pleach India Foundation. During his visit to the heritage conservation works at the local Someswara temple initiated by Yadadri Temple Development […]

Hyderabad: An archaeologically important inscription of the 12th century AD lies uncared at Kolanupaka, a temple town and famous Jain centre in Aler mandal, Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district according to Dr. E. Sivanagireddy, archaeologist and CEO, Pleach India Foundation.

During his visit to the heritage conservation works at the local Someswara temple initiated by Yadadri Temple Development Authority and accompanied by Srilekha, Heritage conservation architect, he chanced upon the huge pillar located on a mound amidst a tank engraved with a lengthy inscription on its four sides at the bottom portion. The 151-line Kannada inscription dated to 1125 AD issued by the crown prince Kumara Someswara son of the Kalyana Chalukya Emperor Tribhuvanamalla titled as Vikramaditya -VI, records his valour and victories over the kings of Kalinga and Tamil countries, he adds.

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It was on the request of Swamydevayya, uplifter of Chatussamayas viz., Vaishnavism, Saivism, Jainism and Buddhism and the military general of Kumara Someswara , the donation of Panupurayi Village with all its revenue and free from impediments, was made to the ‘angarangabhoga’ of goddess Ambika of the ‘Jaina basadi’ maintained by Jain teachers of Meshapashana Gachcha of Kanurgana, namely, Megha Chandra Siddhantadeva, Madhavendu Siddhantadeva, Padma prabhasuri and Chandramaladhari.

The Inscription was executed and the pillar was erected by Kesiraju Preggada, the disciple of Madhavendu Siddhantadeva. Dr. Sivanagireddy said that the inscription studies earlier by epigraphists like N.Venkataramanayya, PVP Sastry, G. Jawaharlal and V.Gopapakrishna in the past and Sriramoju Haragopal in recent times, throw light on the political and religious history of Telangana, more particularly the flourishing state of Jainism during the 12th century AD and appealed the local community to preserve it for posterity by clearing the debris, resetting the dislodged basement and restoring the missing crowning parts of the Pillar to plumb line. He said that there is a positive response from the local people.