ASI Uncovers Three 16th-Century Trilingual Inscriptions at Sadasivakona in Seshachalam Forest, Tirupati

Source: The Hindu

Context

In a major addition to the epigraphical corpus of medieval South India, an expert team from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has discovered three rare 16th-century stone inscriptions deep inside the Seshachalam reserve forest range of Tirupati district, Andhra Pradesh — at a pristine, mostly under-explored sacred site called Sadasivakona. Carved in characters of the 16th century and copied by ASI scholars in the form of estampages (paper impressions) for preservation and linguistic study, the inscriptions are remarkable for their trilingual format using Telugu, Tamil, and Kannada — reflecting the multilingual administrative character of the Vijayanagara Empire, which spanned Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. The principal inscription documents the personal visit of King Sadasiva Raya — the last sovereign monarch of the Tuluva Dynasty (reigned 1542–1570 CE) — to this sacred spot to take a holy bath, records his official royal donation, and registers the construction of a Shiva temple and a monastery (mutt) at Papavinasa in Sadasivakona. According to corroborating reports, the inscriptions also include records of land grants for daily rituals and offerings at the Parashurameswara temple in Gudimallam village of Yerpedu mandal — a site already known to scholars for housing the Gudimallam Lingam, considered the oldest known Shiva lingam in India. The Sadasivakona find continues the team’s earlier epigraphical survey work in the nearby Nallamala Hills. The discovery enriches understanding of Vijayanagara temple administration, royal patronage of Shaivism, land grant systems, and the religious geography of the Seshachalam pilgrimage circuit during the politically turbulent decade preceding the catastrophic Battle of Talikota (1565).

The Discovery

• Discovered by: Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) expert team.
• Number of Inscriptions: 3 rare epigraphical records.
• Date: 16th century CE (Vijayanagara era).
• Languages: Trilingual — Telugu, Tamil, Kannada.
• Documentation Method: Estampages (paper impressions) for preservation and linguistic study.

Location of the Discovery

Aspect	Detail
Site	Sadasivakona (under-explored sacred site)
Forest Range	Seshachalam reserve forest
District	Tirupati district
State	Andhra Pradesh
Region	Eastern Ghats (Saptagiri / Seven Hills cluster)
Earlier Surveys	Nallamala Hills (by the same team)

Vijayanagara Empire

• A powerful South Indian Hindu empire (1336–1646 CE) that dominated the Deccan plateau and peninsular India (except Kerala); founded in 1336 by Harihara I and Bukka Raya I of the Sangama Dynasty with support of saint Vidyaranya; capital at Vijayanagara (Hampi), an iconic city described by Persian envoy Abdur Razzaq (1443) as “such that the pupil of the eye has never seen such a place like it”; reached its zenith under Krishna Deva Raya (1509–1529) of the Tuluva dynasty; ended its effective political dominance with the catastrophic defeat at the Battle of Talikota (1565); the ruined capital, Hampi, was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986.
• Where: Empire spread across Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, parts of Maharashtra, Goa, Odisha, and northern Sri Lanka; capital at Hampi, on the southern banks of the Tungabhadra River, in present-day Bellary district, Karnataka.

Four Dynasties of the Vijayanagara Empire

#	Dynasty	Period	Founder / Key Ruler
1	Sangama	1336–1485 CE	Harihara I, Bukka Raya I, Deva Raya II (greatest Sangama)
2	Saluva	1485–1505 CE	Saluva Narasimha (briefly held off Bahmani decline)
3	Tuluva	1505–1565/70 CE	Vira Narasimha; Krishna Deva Raya (greatest Vijayanagara); Achyuta Raya; Sadasiva Raya (last)
4	Aravidu	1542–1646 CE	Tirumala (Rama Raya’s brother); Sri Ranga; Venkata II

Tuluva Dynasty

Ruler	Reign	Significance
Vira Narasimha	1505–1509	Tuluva founder
Krishna Deva Raya	1509–1529	Greatest Vijayanagara ruler; patron of arts and literature; author of Amuktamalyada (Telugu); ushered in Telugu Golden Age (Ashtadiggajas)
Achyuta Raya	1529–1542	Continued patronage; struggled with rising nobility
Venkata I	1542	Brief reign; killed in court intrigues
Sadasiva Raya	1542–1570	Last Tuluva ruler; puppet king; subject of the newly discovered inscriptions

King Sadasiva Raya (1542–1570 CE)

• What: The last sovereign monarch of the Tuluva Dynasty of the Vijayanagara Empire; nephew of Achyuta Raya; ascended the throne after his cousin Venkata I was killed in court intrigues following Achyuta Raya’s death (1542); though he was the nominal ruler, real power was wielded by his regent and de facto ruler Aliya Rama Raya (Krishna Deva Raya’s son-in-law) and Rama Raya’s brothers; kept under guard / imprisoned by Rama Raya in later years; his reign witnessed the devastating Battle of Talikota (1565); died soon after the battle, ending the Tuluva line.
• Where: Ruled from the Vijayanagara Empire (capital at Hampi); his name lives on in Sadasivakona, the sacred site in the Seshachalam Hills, Tirupati, where the new inscriptions were just discovered.

Aliya Rama Raya — The De Facto Ruler

• Krishna Deva Raya’s son-in-law (“Aliya” means son-in-law in Telugu/Kannada).
• Powerful noble who placed Sadasiva Raya on the throne after defeating Salakaraju at the Battle of Tungabhadra (1543).
• Regent and effective ruler for over two decades (1543–1565).
• Manipulated Deccan Sultanate politics, eventually uniting them against him.
• Captured and beheaded by Hussain Nizam Shah at the Battle of Talikota (1565).

Battle of Talikota (1565) — Decisive Turning Point

• Date: 23 January 1565.
• Also known as: Battle of Rakshasi-Tangadi or Battle of Bannihatti.
• Location: Near Talikota, on the banks of the Krishna River (present-day Karnataka).
• Sides:
  • Vijayanagara Empire (led by Aliya Rama Raya, with brothers Tirumala and Venkatadri).
  • Confederation of Deccan Sultanates: Bijapur (Adil Shahi), Ahmadnagar (Nizam Shahi), Golconda (Qutb Shahi), Bidar (Barid Shahi) — excluding Berar (Imad Shahi).
• Outcome: Catastrophic defeat for Vijayanagara; Rama Raya captured and beheaded by Hussain Nizam Shah of Ahmadnagar.

Deccan Sultanates (Five Successor States of the Bahmani Sultanate)

Sultanate	Capital	Dynasty	Founder
Bijapur	Bijapur	Adil Shahi	Yusuf Adil Shah
Ahmadnagar	Ahmadnagar	Nizam Shahi	Malik Ahmad
Golconda	Golconda	Qutb Shahi	Quli Qutb Mulk
Bidar	Bidar	Barid Shahi	Qasim Barid
Berar	Achalpur	Imad Shahi	Fathullah Imad-ul-Mulk

Practice MCQs

Q1. With reference to the ASI’s recent discovery at Sadasivakona, consider the following statements:

1. The discovery comprises three rare 16th-century inscriptions.
2. The inscriptions are trilingual, written in Telugu, Tamil, and Kannada.
3. The inscriptions were copied as estampages by the ASI for preservation and linguistic study.
4. The site is located in the Nallamala Hills of Telangana.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None

(Statement 4 is wrong; the site is in the Seshachalam forest range, Tirupati district, Andhra Pradesh — NOT in the Nallamala Hills of Telangana. The ASI team’s earlier surveys had been in the Nallamala Hills.)

Q2. With reference to the contents of the primary inscription discovered at Sadasivakona, consider the following statements:

1. It documents the personal visit of King Sadasiva Raya to take a holy bath at the sacred spot.
2. It records his official grant of a royal donation.
3. It registers the construction of a Shiva temple and a monastery (mutt) at Papavinasa.
4. The inscription names Krishna Deva Raya as the ruling king.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None

(Statement 4 is wrong; the inscription is from the reign of Sadasiva Raya (1542–1570 CE), NOT Krishna Deva Raya (1509–1529 CE), who had died decades earlier.)

Q3. With reference to King Sadasiva Raya, consider the following statements:

1. He was the last sovereign monarch of the Tuluva Dynasty of the Vijayanagara Empire.
2. He reigned from 1542 to 1570 CE.
3. Real power during his reign was wielded by his regent Aliya Rama Raya, who later imprisoned him.
4. Sadasiva Raya himself led the Vijayanagara army at the Battle of Talikota in 1565.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None

(Statement 4 is wrong; Aliya Rama Raya (NOT Sadasiva Raya) led the Vijayanagara forces at the Battle of Talikota — Sadasiva was a puppet king kept under guard.)

Q4. With reference to the Battle of Talikota (1565), consider the following statements:

1. It was fought on 23 January 1565 between Vijayanagara and the confederated Deccan Sultanates.
2. The four Deccan Sultanates that fought against Vijayanagara were Bijapur, Ahmadnagar, Golconda, and Bidar.
3. Aliya Rama Raya was captured and beheaded; the Vijayanagara capital Hampi was subsequently sacked.
4. After the battle, the Vijayanagara Empire continued as the dominant political force in South India.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None

(Statement 4 is wrong; after Talikota, Vijayanagara’s political dominance permanently ended — the Aravidu dynasty continued nominally but was much reduced, with capital shifted to Penukonda.)

Q5. With reference to the Vijayanagara Empire, consider the following statements:

1. The Vijayanagara Empire was founded in 1336 CE by Harihara I and Bukka Raya I of the Sangama Dynasty.
2. The capital, Vijayanagara (Hampi), was located on the banks of the Tungabhadra River.
3. The empire comprised four dynasties — Sangama, Saluva, Tuluva, and Aravidu.
4. Hampi was inscribed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage site in 1986.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None

(Statement 4 is wrong; Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1986) under the Cultural Heritage category — NOT Intangible Cultural Heritage.)

Q6. With reference to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and epigraphical methods, consider the following statements:

1. The ASI was established in 1861 by Sir Alexander Cunningham, regarded as the “Father of Indian Archaeology”.
2. The ASI functions under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
3. An estampage is a paper impression of an inscription used for preservation and scholarly study.
4. Gudimallam village in Tirupati district houses the Parashurameswara temple, considered to have the oldest known Shiva lingam in India.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None

(d) All four — all four statements are correct.

Answer Key

1. (c), Statements 1, 2, 3 are correct; Statement 4 is wrong because the site is in Seshachalam, not Nallamala.
2. (c), Statements 1, 2, 3 are correct; Statement 4 is wrong because the inscription is from Sadasiva Raya’s reign.
3. (c), Statements 1, 2, 3 are correct; Statement 4 is wrong because Rama Raya led the forces at Talikota.
4. (c), Statements 1, 2, 3 are correct; Statement 4 is wrong because Vijayanagara’s dominance permanently ended.
5. (c), Statements 1, 2, 3 are correct; Statement 4 is wrong because Hampi is a World Heritage Site (Cultural), not ICH.
6. (d) All four — all statements are correct.