11th-Century Chalukya Inscription Found at Dundigal Temple in Medchal

An 11th-century stone inscription dating back to the reign of Kalyani Chalukya ruler Vikramaditya VI has been discovered in the premises of the Lakshmi Narayana Swamy temple in Dundigal village of Medchal district.

The pillar inscription was sent by local resident Narsagari Jagan to Sriramoju Haragopal, President of the Kotha Telangana Charitra Brundam, for decipherment and historical analysis.

According to historians, the stone pillar was originally brought from near a small tank in Dundigal. The pillar is broken in the middle and contains a 41-line inscription engraved across three sides. The text is composed in the Kannada language using 11th-century Telugu-Kannada script.

The top section of the stone pillar features carvings of the Moon, the Sun, a Jain Tirthankara, as well as a cow and a calf. The inscription documents a land donation made while the Kalyani Chalukya emperor Tribhuvanamalla Deva, also known as Vikramaditya VI (reigned 1076–1126 AD), was stationed at his temporary camp, Kalyanapura Nelavidu.

The inscription was commissioned by his Mahamandalesvara, a ruler from the Soma lineage named Deven—with the remaining part of the name lost due to damage where the stone broke. The text includes numerous titles of praise for the chieftain.

The inscription records that out of devotion to the feet of Jina, a woman named Nalama, described as resembling Sri Lalana (Goddess Lakshmi), had a basadi constructed for the Jain Sasanadevata. To support the foundation, the Mandalesvara donated several marturu of land, a historical unit of measurement where one marturu equals one and a half acres.

Sriramoju Haragopal, who deciphered the text, stated that an individual named Muppana also took part in the event recorded on the pillar. He noted that a similar half-broken pillar inscription had previously been discovered by the history group in a village in Warangal district.