14th century granite tablet unearthed in Udupi

Udupi: A 14th century stone tablet with Kannada inscription was unearthed at Sakkattu area of Shiriyara village in Brahmavara taluk. It contains 12 lines of Kannada inscription engraved on the granite tablet that is five and a half feet in length and two feet in width.

This find was unearthed at a paddy field in Kolkebailu area of Sakkattu by a team of researchers including Professor S A Krishnaiah, the Director of Oriental Archives Research Centre in Udupi and Shruthesh Acharya Moodubelle, a research expert from Pleach India Foundation of Hyderabad.

The researchers said that they found the tablet based on a tip provided by a local who mentioned something about a tablet that was buried in the ground. After unearthing it, they said that most of the inscription isn't clear and the inscription has faded away but only 12 lines are legible.

According to initial investigation of the tablet, researchers found depictions of a Shiva Linga, Nandi, Nandadeepa, Rajakatthi, Sun and the Moon embossed at the top.

The word 'Swathishree' is carved in the beginning of the inscription that is estimated to belong to 1,344 AD. The tablet also refers to King Veerapandya Deva of the Alupa Dynasty as the 'Shree Pandya Chakravarthi, Yariraya Basavashankara, Rayagajankusha'.

The date on the tablet is identified as 'Shakavarusha 1,266 Neya Tarana Samvastharada Shravana Bahula 13 Simha Masa Vaddavara' which is estimated to be a Thursday.

The tablet has now been shifted to a nearby Sri Vishnumurthy Temple in Sakkattu for protection and care. The research team has expressed their gratitude to S Raghuram Rao, managing trustee of the temple and his son S Gopalakrishna Rao for supporting the team.