Kannada language possibly older than thought

Discovery of inscriptions in Kannada language in the Pranaveswara temple in Shivamogga district of Karnataka state, South India, push the origin of the language further back. The epigraphic finds are dated from 450 AD to 350-370 AD.

Excavations at the site (by Bangalore Mirror)

The discovery from Pranaveswara temple in Shikaripura taluk (Indian administrative unit) was confirmed by the experts. The new inscription was discovered on the back of lion balustrade steps made of greenish grey schist stone in front of the temple. According to the archaeologists the excavations did not only unearthed rare records of written Kannada but also taken the history of written Kannada back by at least another 100 years. So far historians and palaeographers have always argued that the first written inscription in Kannada would go past the current 450 AD. The Pranaveswara temple dates back to Satavahana dynasty times (1st cent. BC-2nd cent. AD), and was further restored by Kadamba dynasty (345-525 AD), the first Kannadiga kingdom.

Inscriptions found at the site (by Bangalore Mirror)

(after Bangalore Mirror)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.