9th century Ganga dynasty inscription found at Anakapalli temple
Visakhapatnam: Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) researchers have discovered an 827-year-old stone inscription at Maduthuru village in Atchutapuram mandal of Anakapalli district in Andhra Pradesh.
The discovery is part of a project spearheaded by the Odisha chapter of INTACH to list and document historic Kalingan sites in Andhra Pradesh. The project’s coordinator is Deepak Kumar Nayak, while Suman Prakash Swain is a member and Bishnu Mohan Adhikari the epigraphist.
Providing details, Bishnu Mohan explained that the inscription in Telugu language and script is on a stone panel affixed to the wall of the Chodeswara Shiva temple in Maduthuru village. It reveals that the temple had been built by three brothers—Prolli Setti, Poti Setti and Bhami Setti—sons of Sittamma Setti.
The inscription further mentions that land had been endowed to support the temple's upkeep and ensure that its lamp remains lit perpetually. The stone panel has the figure of a couchant bull, with the royal insignia of Eastern Ganga dynasty carved on the top portion.
Project coordinator Deepak said: “The grant had been issued in the first regnal year of King Rajaraja Deva III, grandson of the famous Eastern Ganga monarch Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva, during 1197–98 CE.”
Deepak told this correspondent on Thursday that they had discovered a copper grant of Rajaraja III in Dashagoba village of Puri district, corroborating that the grand Jagannath Temple in Puri had been reconstructed by Chodaganga Deva.
“It is therefore possible that Rajaraja named Maduthuru Shiva Temple "Chodeswara" in honour of his distinguished grandfather. During the 12th century CE, the Kalinga region spanned from Ganga River in the north to the Godavari in the south, with today’s Anakapalli in Andhra Pradesh lying within its borders,” the project coordinator added.
Photo Caption: INTACH project coordinator Deepak Kumar Nayak (centre) seen with his associates at Chodeswara Shiva Temple in Atchutapuram of Anakapalli mandal in Anakapalli district on Thursday.
