15th Century Odia Inscription Found at Simhachalam Temple

 Visakhapatnam: A late 15th-Century inscription in Odia script on a round pillar has been identified as a Sanskrit verse dedicated to Lord Simhadrinatha at the Jaya-Vijaya Dvāra of Nīlādri Gumnam in the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Devasthanam at Simhachalam.

The inscription was first noticed by researcher Satyachandra Saikumar Kethinedi and subsequently deciphered by epigraphist Bishnu Mohan Adhikari, who identified it as an important record reflecting the devotional traditions and historical connections between Odisha and the renowned hill shrine of Lord Narasimha.

According to Adhikari, the inscription contains a Sanskrit śloka written in the Odia script. Although the Sanskrit is somewhat corrupt, the verse expresses profound devotion to Lord Narasimha, addressed as Simhadrinatha.

Notably, the deity’s name appears in the inscription -“Siṅgadrinātha”, reflecting a regional Odia linguistic form.

The verse is a heartfelt prayer by a humble and helpless devotee seeking divine grace. Addressing the Lord as “O Narasimha of Simhadri” and “Murari”, the devotee beseeches Him to listen to his supplication and bless him with unwavering devotion to His lotus feet.

The prayer invokes the compassionate nature of the Lord of the gods, seeking His helping hand and divine support amid the difficulties of worldly existence.

As there is no mention of any king’s name, Adhikari has provisionally attributed the inscription to the reign of Suryavamsi Gajapati, ruler Purushottama Deva, on the basis of its palaeographic features.

The identification places the record within a significant period of Odisha’s medieval political and cultural history, when the Gajapati kingdom maintained extensive religious and cultural connections beyond its territorial boundaries.

The inscription also adds an important dimension to the study of Odia epigraphical records found outside present-day Odisha. Its use of the Odia script for a Sanskrit devotional verse offers evidence of the continued use of the script in religious settings associated with the wider cultural sphere of the medieval Kalinga region.

According to Adhikari, the history of Simhachalam temple is also associated with the Eastern Ganga dynasty, particularly Gajapati Langula Narasimha Deva, to whom the temple’s construction is attributed.

The shrine received patronage during the Suryavamsi Gajapati period, reflecting successive phases of royal engagement with the sacred site.

The newly deciphered inscription may therefore contribute to a better understanding of the religious networks that connected Odisha’s ruling dynasties with Simhachalam. The devotional verse, its palaeographic characteristics and its use of Odia script together provide valuable avenues for further research into the temple’s epigraphical heritage and the historical relationship between the Gajapati rulers and Lord Narasimha.

The discovery underscores the importance of documenting and studying inscriptions preserved on temple pillars and architectural elements, which can offer fresh insights into the linguistic, religious and cultural history of Andhra and Odisha.