1 week Ago By Sampat G. Samritan
Vijayawada: Nine shell inscriptions, engraved on rock boulders, were found inside the Lankamalla forest at Siddavatam village in Kadapa district of Rayalaseema region in Andhra Pradesh. The shell inscriptions belonged to ancient period written in the ‘Shankalipi’ script representing ornate spiral characters resembling conch shells. They are normally found in the north-central part in India.
A total of 16 label inscriptions engraved on rock builders were found in the same area and the inscriptions are written in Sanskrit and Telugu languages and Brahmi, Nagari and Telugu characters, ranging between 4th Century and 15th Century common era. The text found in the inspections deciphered to be ‘Chandrahasa, Ye Dharmaja, Sri Visishtha Kankaladhari and Stalakara Chanapa.’ Siddavatam forest range officer B.
Kalavati found the inscriptions and informed the Archaeological Survey of India to decipher, preserve and protect them. ASI director (epigraphy) K. Munirathnam Reddy said, “We have found the shell inscriptions in the Rayalaseema region in AP for the first time and the awareness campaign among the people to help find ancient inscriptions is helping us to find more inscriptions across the nation.
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