Warangal: Stone Inscription Throws Light on 10th-century Hero
The inscription praises Kakaiah for fighting without ever retreating and records that he attained veeraswarga (heroic heaven). It was carved by a person named Saraswatta.
Warangal: A 10th-century hero stone bearing a rare inscription has been identified at the Telangana heritage department museum by Voruganti Venkatesh, a member of the Kotha Telangana Charitra Brundam (KTBC), at Panugallu in Nalgonda district.
The text on the stone was read and confirmed by historian and KTBC convener Sriramoju Haragopal. The hero stone was brought from Yeleswaram, and the inscription narrates the story of an ancient warrior who died fighting bravely in battle. The museum preserves many such artefacts, sculptures, and inscriptions collected from various regions.
The inscription, dated to 996 CE, is written in Telugu using the Telugu-Kannada script and consists of 21 lines. It records that Kakaiah fought under the command of Mallya Komandivaradiya of Davalandi, an area within the Ariyarimma Kumara kingdom.
The inscription praises Kakaiah for fighting without ever retreating and records that he attained veeraswarga (heroic heaven). It was carved by a person named Saraswatta.
The hero stone itself depicts the warrior in action. He is shown charging forward with a battle cry, holding a spear in his right hand and a shield in his left. He is seen slaying enemies, with one fallen warrior lying at his feet and another still fighting. The hero is richly adorned with a crest, earrings, necklaces, a sacred thread, and various arm, leg, and toe rings.