14th Century Odia-Telugu Inscription Found In Srikakulam Temple
Palaeographical studies reveal that the inscription has a combination of 14th Century Odia and Telugu script features, revealing the deep cultural and linguistic interaction between ancient Kalinga and the Andhra region.
Visakhapatnam: Epigraphist Bishnu Mohan Adhikari has discovered a rare inscription in the Uma Lakhyeswara Swamy Temple at Gujaratipeta in Srikakulam town. This is his second find, the first one being a rare 300-year-old bilingual inscription discovered last month at the centuries-old Hanuman Temple in Paralakhemundi of Gajapati district in south Odisha.
Adhikari said the Uma Lakhyeswara Swamy Temple inscription had been issued by Biswanatha Pandita in Chaitra Shukla Pratipada on a Friday (Sukravara) in the Manmatha-nāma Saṁvatsara of the traditional lunar calendar. The inscription mentions that the Brahmin donor belonged to Palakunda, an older form of Palakula, which is clearly engraved in the text.
Palaeographical studies reveal that the inscription has a combination of 14th Century Odia and Telugu script features, revealing the deep cultural and linguistic interaction between ancient Kalinga and the Andhra region. Notably, the name Biswanatha Pandita appears in both Odia and Telugu, making the inscription a rare epigraphic specimen of its kind.
Based on the historical context, Adhikari believes that the inscription likely belongs to the imperial Eastern Ganga period, a time when Kalinga’s political and cultural influence extended to the Srikakulam region. The finding aligns with the presence of several bilingual inscriptions from the same era in the nearby Srikurman Temple, further strengthening the connection.
This is not the first time that the Uma Lakhyeswara Swamy Temple has yielded significant archaeological evidence. Earlier, Adhikari deciphered the longest Odia inscription of the Kadamba Kings, engraved in the same temple, which contained the old historical name of Srikakulam – Sikakoli Gada.
The latest discovery is expected to draw historians, archaeologists and heritage conservation groups, as it reinforces the historical continuum between Odisha and northern Andhra Pradesh. It will also give an insight into the lesser-known regional epigraphic traditions.