A Sunday Campaign Brings Barkur’s Centuries-old Inscriptions Back Into View

Udupi: For years, they have been part of the landscape of the historic town of Barkur — stone slabs in and around its old temples, their surfaces darkened by age and covered with moss, algae and dust.

To most visitors, they may appear to be just another piece of old stone. Some local residents know that there are inscriptions on them, but very few have been able to read what is written or understand the stories the stones carry.

That is now set to change.

A group of historians and heritage activists has begun a campaign to clean the inscriptions found in the temples of Barkur, in an effort to bring the centuries-old writing back into view and make it accessible to the public.

The Veera Rani Chikkaayi Thayi Charitable Trust- Gulladi, Adima Kala Trust- Udupi, and Gajani Foundation- Mulki, have joined hands for the initiative.

The campaign was inaugurated by Hampi Kannada University Vice-Chancellor Dr DV Paramashivamurthy at Kallu Chappara in Barkur. On the first day, about eight inscriptions at Sri Someshwara Temple were cleaned.

When a stone begins to speak

The inscriptions have survived for centuries, but nature has taken its toll. Algae and moss have gradually spread over the stone surfaces, while dust and other deposits have made the letters and carvings difficult to see.

Once the surface is covered, the inscription loses its meaning to an ordinary visitor. What was once a record of an event, a donation or an order can end up looking like nothing more than a weathered stone slab.

Archaeologist and historian Prof T Murugeshi of Adima Kala Trust who is heading the campaign along with volunteers have decided to clean these inscriptions once a week. They are using water and soft brushes to carefully remove the growth without damaging the inscriptions.

The idea is simple — make the writing visible again.

Sundays for the stones

The organisers plan to continue the work every Sunday and are hoping that college students will join the campaign.

“We have decided to conduct this campaign every Sunday. We have invited college students to actively participate by registering their names. On the first day itself we had a good response from the students. As many as 175 had registered their names,” Prof Murugeshi told Deccan Chronicle.

For students of history and archaeology, the campaign could offer something that a classroom cannot — the opportunity to stand before an original inscription, learn how it is cleaned and, for those familiar with the script, try to read it.

Prof Murugeshi estimates that around 10 inscriptions can be cleaned in a day. There are more than 150 inscriptions in the temples within about a two-km radius of Barkur, according to a preliminary estimate. At that pace, the campaign could take at least 15 Sundays.

The exercise is presently limited to inscriptions located in temples in Barkur village.

A place with a long memory

Barkur was a natural choice for the campaign.

Located about 20 km north of Udupi, Barkur has a long history that stretches well beyond the period for which it is popularly known today. Its importance grew considerably after the Alupa dynasty made it their capital in the 11th century.

Known in historical records as Barakuru and Barahakanyapura, Barkur was the third capital of the Alupas, after Mangalapura (present-day Mangaluru) and Udayapura (Udyavara).

The Alupas continued to have their capital at Barkur until the royal line came to an end in the 14th century. The town also served as an administrative headquarters for the Hoysalas under Rani Chikkayi Tayi. Later, under the Vijayanagara Empire, Barkur became their headquarters on the coast. Later when the Coastal region was bifurcated, Barkur became the Northern headquarters, with Mangaluru being the Southern.

The inscriptions found in Barkur reflect this long history. They range from the 11th century, including those issued during the reign of Kulashekhara Alupendra I of the Alupa kingdom, to the 17th century, including the period of Aliya Ramaraya of the Vijayanagara Empire.

Stories carved in stone

Barkur is also known for its temples. Local oral tradition speaks of as many as 365 temples in the region in the past.

Many of the inscriptions found in these temples relate to donations and the administration of temples and religious institutions. Temples were places where people gathered regularly, making them natural locations for such records to be placed.

One such inscription is at the Chaulikeri Ganapathi Temple.

Prof. Murugeshi points to a 12th-century inscription of Kulashekhara Alupendra I, which records a donation and also provides details about the administration of the temple.

“It tells us what each person associated with the temple was expected to do and even mentions the fine to be imposed if the duties were not carried out,” he said.

The largest number of inscriptions in Barkur are from the Vijayanagara period.

More than just cleaning

Cleaning the stones is only the first step.

The team will also check whether each inscription has already been documented and published. If any inscription has not been reported it will be taken up for documentation and publication.

The number of inscriptions varies from temple to temple. Sri Someshwara Temple, where the campaign began on September 25, has eight inscriptions. Sri Panchalingeshwara Temple, considered one of the oldest temples in the region, has 16.

Once the inscriptions in the temples have been cleaned, the activists want visitors to be able to understand them without having to search for a historian or an expert.

The plan is to prepare details of the inscriptions in Kannada and have them displayed beside the stones.

“When we visit these places, temple authorities often ask us to explain the inscriptions so that they can tell visitors and tourists about them. We plan to prepare the details of the inscriptions and have them installed next to the stones, so that anyone visiting the temple can understand their importance,” Prof. Murugeshi said.

Preserving what has survived

There is also a larger concern behind the campaign.

The inscriptions have survived hundreds of years, but exposure to rain and other weather conditions continues to affect them. Once the cleaning is completed, the activists plan to approach temple authorities about providing suitable shelter and other protection for the inscriptions.

For Barkur, the exercise could mean more than simply making old letters visible.

Every inscription has a story to tell — about the people who lived here, the administration method, the rulers who governed the region and their rules and regulations, donations made to temples and the way these institutions were administered.

The campaign aims to bring these stones and the stories they carry back to public attention.