Students find 1387 Vijayanagara inscription in Udupi paddy field
By Devansh TiwariKnowledge Systems Writer, Peepals Sanskriti
Representative image: Pexels / Pixabay
A 34-line inscription from Harihara II's reign, dated to about 1387 CE, was found near Nandalike in Udupi district, reported on October 30, 2026.
What Happened
A stone inscription from the reign of Harihara II of the Vijayanagara Empire has been found in a paddy field near Nandalike in Karkala taluk of Udupi district, Karnataka, according to reports published on Friday, October 30, 2026. The record was first noticed by two first-year BA archaeology students of Mulki Sundar Ram Shetty College, Sinchith M and Shodhan B. Prof. T. Murugeshi of the Adima Kala Trust in Udupi, who studied the stone, dates it to about 1387 CE and says it names the officials who ran the Barkur region and their subordinates in the Nandalike area.
Key Facts
- The inscription is carved on a slab of green schist, a soft stone often called soapstone, measuring 46.5 cm by 23 cm.
- It has two panels: 34 lines of text in the lower panel and carvings in low relief (bas-relief) in the upper panel.
- According to Prof. Murugeshi's reading, the text praises Harihara II as overlord of the three oceans.
- It says that, under the royal command of Hariyappa Odeya, the Maha Pradhana (chief minister) Mallappa Odeya was administering the Barakuru kingdom.
- It records that Sanganna Jaya Arasa made two land grants at Nandalike, to Kotishvaralva and Kadambalva, as Brahmadaya land free of all taxes.
- The stone carries the year Saka 1039, which does not fit the Vijayanagara period; Prof. Murugeshi suggests the intended year is Saka 1309, which equals 1387 CE and matches the Prabhava year named in the record.
- The record names its writer as Vittanna, a senabova (village scribe or accountant).
Why It Matters
Inscriptions are the hard evidence of Indian history. Kings, ministers and donors had grants, gifts and orders cut into stone or copper so that they would last, and those records now let historians check names, dates and the working of government against later chronicles and family traditions. A single new slab can confirm who held an office in a given year, how land was granted and taxed, and which temples and families it supported.
This find speaks to how the Vijayanagara Empire governed its western coast. The Tulu-speaking coastal belt was run in two parts under Vijayanagara rule, the Mangaluru Rajya and the Barkuru Rajya, with Barkur as the seat of the northern part. The Nandalike record describes a chain of command from the emperor, through a royal commander and a chief minister at Barkur, down to a local chief who made grants in a single village. That layered picture of empire, province and locality is exactly what historians look for when they study how a large state reached its villages.
The name Mallappa Odeya also links the stone to earlier finds. According to Prof. Murugeshi, earlier inscriptions name Mallappa Odeya as governor of Barkur in 1386, and that match is one of the reasons he dates the new stone to 1387. An inscription reported years ago from Saligrama in Udupi taluk referred to a Mallappa Odiya ruling the Tuluva region between 1386 and 1390. A new record that fits this sequence strengthens the timeline of who governed the coast in those years.
The dating itself shows the method at work. The Saka era runs 78 years behind the Common Era, so Saka 1309 corresponds to 1387 CE. The record also names its year as Prabhava, one of the named years of the traditional 60-year cycle. When the stated Saka year (1039) does not agree with the reign it describes, epigraphists test a likely engraving slip against the cycle year and the names of known officials. Here, according to Prof. Murugeshi, all three point to 1387.
Brahmadaya grants were gifts of land to Brahmins, usually free of tax, made to support learning and ritual. Records of such grants show how kings and local chiefs funded scholars, priests and temples, and they are a key source on land rights and the rural economy of medieval South India.
| Measure | Detail |
|---|---|
| Stone | Green schist (soapstone), 46.5 cm by 23 cm |
| Text | 34 lines in the lower panel |
| Ruler named | Harihara II of the Vijayanagara Empire |
| Date proposed | about 1387 CE (Saka 1309, Prabhava year) |
| Officials named | Hariyappa Odeya, Mallappa Odeya, Sanganna Jaya Arasa |
Impact
Short-term: The find adds a dated record to the list of Vijayanagara inscriptions from coastal Karnataka. The reading so far comes from Prof. Murugeshi and the Adima Kala Trust; a detailed reading by other epigraphists or a formal publication would test the dating and the names.
Long-term: Each new record helps historians rebuild the line of governors at Barkur and the pattern of land grants in Tulu Nadu, and may help connect village shrines and families today to their documented past. Stones found in fields are at risk of damage or loss, so recording and protecting them matters.
Who is affected: Historians, epigraphists and students of Karnataka's coastal history; the people of Nandalike and Karkala taluk, whose local history gains a dated record; and the archaeology students who first spotted the stone, an example of how field training adds to the record.
Key Takeaway
A 34-line Vijayanagara inscription spotted by two students near Nandalike, dated by Prof. T. Murugeshi to about 1387 CE, records the chain of officials who governed Barkur under Harihara II and two tax-free land grants in the village.
Questions and Answers
What is the Nandalike inscription?
It is a stone inscription on a green schist slab found in a paddy field near Nandalike in Karkala taluk, Udupi district, reported on October 30, 2026. It has 34 lines of text and carved panels, and records officials of the Vijayanagara period and land grants at Nandalike.
How old is the Nandalike inscription?
Prof. T. Murugeshi of the Adima Kala Trust dates it to about 1387 CE, in the reign of Harihara II. The stone gives Saka 1039, which he reads as an error for Saka 1309, the year that equals 1387 CE and matches the Prabhava year named in the text.
Who found the inscription?
It was first noticed by Sinchith M and Shodhan B, first-year BA archaeology students of Mulki Sundar Ram Shetty College, and then studied by Prof. Murugeshi.
Why do such inscriptions matter?
They are primary evidence of history. This one names the chain of officials from the Vijayanagara emperor down to a local chief, and records tax-free Brahmadaya land grants, helping historians reconstruct how the coastal Barkur region was governed in the late 14th century.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
By Devansh Tiwari, Knowledge Systems WriterCovers Knowledge Systems and more for Peepals Sanskriti. All stories by Devansh Tiwari
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Devansh Tiwari is a pen name of the Peepals Global Editorial Team, which researches, fact-checks and publishes every story. The portrait is an illustration.
