662-Year-Old Vijayanagara Inscription Found at Penukonda Hill Temple

A stone inscription discovered at the Sri Naga Lingeshwara Swamy temple on Penukonda hill in Andhra Pradesh's Sri Sathya Sai district has opened a window into a 662-year-old chapter of Vijayanagara history, identifying the shrine's founder as Anantharasu Chikka Odeyar, who served as Prime Minister of the empire.

Penukonda once functioned as the second capital of the Vijayanagara Empire, and the temple stands on its hilltop. Historian MyNaa Swamy, who spoke to the media on Monday, said the epigraph belongs to the reign of Emperor Bukka Raya I, dated to 1356-77 CE.

The shrine, in a dilapidated condition, was traced by members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad's Penukonda chapter while they were climbing the hill along its rugged northern and western approaches. They noticed the inscription carved into a large boulder inside the premises and forwarded photographs for decipherment.

Written in an ancient Kannada-Telugu script, the text begins with "Svasti Sri Saka Varusha 1285" and closes with "Mangala Maha Sri". It records that Anantharasu, as Prime Minister under Bukka Raya I, consecrated the Shiva Linga on Sunday, July 16, 1363 CE, a date corresponding to Saka 1285, Shravana Shuddha Panchami, which fell on the auspicious occasion of Naga Panchami.

The inscription also refers to a sacred pond built alongside the shrine, known locally as Nagula Bavi, or the Well of Serpents. Those who examined the site found supporting evidence in an intricate sculpture showing eight Naga Kanyas worshipping Lord Shiva.

MyNaa Swamy and his team have asked the State Endowments Department to begin preservation and restoration work to protect the heritage site from the early Vijayanagara period.