BENGALURU, 6 MAY 

Retired joint director of the Department of Collegiate Education and historian KR Narasimhan and historian Dhanpal have deciphered a stone inscription dating back to 1407 which was found near Doddajala village in Devanahalli taluk of Bengaluru rural district.  

The reference to the inscription is mentioned in Epigraphia Carnatica, a set of books on epigraphy compiled by Benjamin Lewis Rice. It is mentioned in volume 9 under No 56 during 1905, Narasimhan said.   

The 600-year-old inscription, which speaks of land donation, was lying in a tank bed for decades. Narasimhan and Dhanpaul could access the inscription when the stone was taken out during the construction of Sri Muthylamma temple in the village. 

The inscription reads that a land donation was made to Bheemasetty by Kattige Amaranayaka during the tenure of Veetaprathap Devaraya Odeyar on 18 September 1407.  A total extent of three Kanduga and 30 Kolagas of land was given as a donation to Bheemasetty, the inscription reads.  Kanduga and kolagas are the measurements used during those days and they are normally found only in inscriptions of yesteryears, said Arivu Shivappa, lecturer and a historian in Kolar.

Bheemasetty was the Nadaprabhu of Yelahanka which has been detailed in another two inscriptions found near Nuggegalli village of Channarayapattana taluk of Hassan district, Narasimhan said. A group of villagers including advocate Srinivas and GP members Nagesh and Munivenkatappa assisted Narasimhan and Dhanpal during the task.  —Salar News