11th century Kannada inscription found

BANGALORE: Historian and research scholar D N Akki Gogi from Yadagir district has unearthed an 11th century inscription written in Kannada from a ruined Jain temple in Allur village in Gulbarga district. According to the experts, the inscription, which is on a stone pillar, was written in the form of Kannada that was used in 1050 AD. The inscription was read by eminent epigraphers, including, Sitaram Jagirdar and Dr M G Manjunath from Mysore University.It is said that Allur village was ruled by the chieftains of Kalyana Chalukya rulers. The ruined Jain temple, where the inscription was found, was reportedly built by the devotee Benneya Machisetty during the time of Jain saint Munigunachandra. Experts said that the threeline- ling inscription revealed an account of those who built the temple in the 11th century. Apart from the inscription, the Jain temple also houses a three-feet-long statue of Lord Parshwanath, the 23rd Tirthankara in whose memory the structure was built. “This temple is a treasure trove for researchers of ancient temples,” D N Akki informed Express. Experts added that the place where the inscription was found has traces Nishadi Shilpas. The findings signify that there Jain saints used to practice ‘Sallekhana Vritha’, a rigorous ritual of holy fast unto death, which aimed to gain ‘Moksha’ from the world.