11th-Century Inscription Uncovered at Siddheshwara Temple in Telangana Reveals Insights into Kalyani Chalukya Era

HYDERABAD: Every inscription is a window into its time. A newly identified record at the Siddheshwara temple in Nandivanaparti village has opened one such window into 11th-century Telangana, carrying a 1077 CE eulogy of Kalyani Chalukya ruler Tribhuvanamalla Vikramaditya VI and details of a donation made by one of his regional officials. The inscription, identified at the Siddheshwara temple in Yacharam mandal of Rangareddy district, belongs to the reign of Tribhuvanamalla Vikramaditya VI, one of the prominent rulers of the Kalyani Chalukya dynasty. Written in the 11th century Telugu-Kannada script and Kannada language, the inscription offers evidence of the political and religious landscape of the region during the Kalyani Chalukya period. It was identified by Dr CV Pavan Kumar, research member of the Kotha Telangana Charitra Brundam and professor at Government Degree College, Ibrahimpatnam. Sriramoju Haragopal, president of the history group, assisted in the field visit, preparation of the estampage and decipherment. According to the researchers, the inscription was lying within the temple premises, with only one face initially visible. After the pillar was turned over, the beginning of the record on its other face was exposed, allowing researchers to examine a larger portion of the text. “The upper portion of the inscription carries a series of sculptural symbols. These include half-reliefs of the moon, sun, Nandi, a Shiva Linga, a sword placed beneath a cow and elephants. Such imagery, along with the written record, provides clues to the religious and political context in which the inscription was created,” Haragopal told TNIE. The first face contains a prasasti, or eulogy, of Tribhuvanamalla Vikramaditya VI. It refers to him by royal titles including Samasta Bhuvanashraya, Sri Prithvivallabha, Maharajadhiraja and Parameshvara, and describes him as an ornament of the Satyashraya lineage of the Chalukyas.