Karnataka - Hubli-Dharwad   

Inscriptions dating back to 11th century discovered

Staff Correspondent

They were found in Neeralagi village in Shiggaon taluk

STEEPED IN ANTIQUITY: An idol of lord Veerabhadreshwara belonging to the age of Vikramaditya VI (1076 A.D.- 1110 A.D) has been found at Neeralagi in Shiggaon taluk of Haveri district.

HUBLI: An inscription, two "veeragallu" (hero's stones) and two "mahasati kallu" (glorifying the practice of Sati), belonging to the 11th and 12th Century, have been found in Neeralagi village in Shiggaon taluk in Haveri district.

According to historian K.C. Malligawad, who is a lecturer at the G.E.C.G.K. Hiregoudra Composite Junior College in Rottigawad in Kundagol taluk in Dharwad district, the stones were discovered during a recent visit to the village, which is 20 km from Shiggaon. According to him they belong to the period of the Chalukyas of Kalyana. The inscriptions date back to 1125 A.D. when Vikramaditya VI was in power.

The inscription tells about the king donating land for the renovation of a temple and also the construction of a tank. It explains the need for taking up such a work for the welfare of citizens. The inscription has been found in front of the Veerabhadra temple in the village.

According to Prof. Malligawad, one of the "veeragallu" found in the village has been moved from its original place.

Measuring about 8 ft long and 4 ft wide, it speaks of a valiant person belonging to the village. The carvings depict his fight with the enemies, felicitation by the villagers, his travel to the other world and his arrival in heaven. The other "veeragallu" mentions valiant person who fought with the enemies to prevent them from steeling cattle, he said.

In the same village two "mahasati kallu" have been found. They depict a wife of the hero performing Sati after the hero was killed on the battlefield. The other stone on which holes have been drilled on either side, was probably used as a window in a temple, he said.

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