Copper plate inscription of Keladi rulers found near Udupi

Copper plate inscription of Keladi rulers found near Udupi

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, December 11, 2024: A copper plate inscription believed to be of Keladi rulers has been found in Mahalingeshwara temple at Tallur in Kundapur taluk of Udupi district.

T. Murugeshi, historian and retired associate professor of Department of Ancient History and Archaeology, said in a release that the inscription is great proof the rulers’ religious tolerance of Keladi rulers. 

The Tallur inscription belongs to the last phase of the Keladi kingdom. Basavappa Nayaka was ruling over his kingdom from his capital Bidanuru, which is now Nagara in Hosnagara taluk of Shivamogga district. Basavappa Nayaka II built a new mutt in his capital Bidanuru for Phakireshwara, a great Sufi saint of Dambal and donated a huge amount to the mutt. This reveals the religious tolerance of Keladi rulers, Mr. Murugeshi said.    

The rectangular copper plate is about 46 cm long, 33 cm wide, and three mm thick. It has writing on both sides in the Kannada script and language of the 18th century, the historian said.

On the front side, 17 lines are engraved. The inscription opens with an invocation of Lord Shiva and dated in saka year 1666 of Rudirodgari Samvat and Ashada Bahula 5th of the Hindu calendar. The given dates correspond to July 4, 1774.  

Next, “it prizes Keladi rulers as founders of corrupt vedic theory, vishudha vaidika siddhanta prathistapakaru, and in the lineage of Keladi Sadashiva Nayaka, Somashekara Nayaka was born and his wife was Chennammaji.” “Their great grandson Basavappa Nayaka, his grandson Somashekara Nayaka, his brother Veerabhadra Nayaka and his son Basavappa Nayaka II” (as written in the inscription). The inscription was written during the rule of Basavappa Nayaka II, Mr. Murugeshi said in a release.

“Keladi Basavappa Nayaka II, constructed an independent mutt for Phakira Devaru of Dambal, in the name of his mother Mallammaji at Hosapete of his capital Bidanuru. On the request of Guruvappa a minister, six tone Haga was donated to the Mutt.” (as in the inscription).