Relic From Rama Raya Era: Inscription referring to ruler Rama Raya, discovered at Marenahalli in Hiriyur taluk
Mahesh said the inscription dates to the period between AD 1542 and AD 1565, when Rama Raya was a prominent ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire. Stay updated with the latest Hubballi news.
Chitradurga: A rare Vijayanagara-period inscription referring to Rama Raya has been discovered at Marenahalli near Harthikote in Hiriyur taluk, researchers said. The official donated Marenahalli village to Mallikarjuna temple at Harathi , according to the inscription. Such grants were made in the past to meet expenses related to temple worship, maintenance and other activities, with tax revenue from the donated village going to the temple, Mahesh said. Mahesh said the discovery is significant as it adds to the rare inscriptions of Rama Raya found in the Chitradurga region and raises questions about the political history of the Harathi region. Further research is needed to ascertain whether the official mentioned in the inscription played a role in laying the foundation for the Harathi Nayakas’ rule after the fall of the Vijayanagara Empire, Mahesh said.
Lecturer Mahesh Kunchiganalu was alerted to the inscription by teacher Tippeswamy. Mahesh and Vijay Kumar conducted fieldwork on the agricultural land of Maranna Yudhishtarappa in Marenahalli and identified the inscription as belonging to the 16th century. It begins with a reference to Rama Raya’s official, but the subsequent portion is damaged. The Harathi palegar dynasty is believed to have begun with Hottappanayaka. However, the newly found inscription mentions the name of a leader who predates him. A 17th-century inscription at Harathi’s Veerabhadra temple also mentions the Mallikarjuna temple. Epigraphist Shashikumar Naik read the inscription. Teachers Timmanna, Somashekar, Basavaraj, Prasannakumar and Dandappa assisted in the fieldwork. Download the TOI App.
Mahesh said the Revana Siddeshwara temple, as it is known locally today, could be the same temple referred to as Mallikarjuna in the inscription.