Daijiworld Media Network – Madikeri (SJM)

Madikeri, Sep 15: The department of archaeology, museum and heritage has found 69 new stone slab inscriptions in Madikeri, Kushalnagar and Somwarpet taluks.

It is estimated that all the inscriptions that are discovered belong to a time period of 7th century AD to 18th century AD. These stone slab inscriptions are considered to be rare, as they have not been documented to date.

Rekha, the curator in the department has so far visited 406 villages from 2020 till the date and discovered 69 stone slabs. During her survey, along with these inscriptions, she has also found some monuments which belong to the Stone Age period. They have also discovered other inscriptions which have been recorded earlier in their publications.

The discovered stone slab inscriptions are being studied by scholar H M Nagaraj of Mysuru. However, the work on the transcription is under progress.

The curator also said that the rarest stone tombs were also found in many such places earlier. At present, there are 5 stone tombs remaining and preserving them is a mandatory and also an essential task. Twelve ‘Heroic’ stones, 11 ‘Sati’ stones and 21 ‘Kole’ stones are very strange to this region. The five stone sculptures that are discovered in Kushalnagar are needed to be preserved.

She also wrote in a report submitted to the government that ‘Totally 246 ‘Kole’ stones are found in Somwarpet taluk and the monuments that are discovered in 15 villages of the taluk are subject to danger’.

Meanwhile, there is also a need to preserve places in Kanthuru and Aikola, Mahavishnu temple in Kaggodlu and Singatturu, Ishwara temple in Kundacheri, Neelyatu Sarthavu temple in Kokeri, Sri Durga Bhagavathi temple in Bavali and Sri Vishnu temple in Kuyyangeri, she said.