10th-century Ganga inscription unearthed

Discovery at Mahalingeshwara Temple in Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Nagar

Mysore/Mysuru : A remarkable archaeological discovery has shed new light on the ancient history of Mysuru, with the unearthing of a 10th-century inscription from the Ganga Dynasty at the Mahalingeshwara Temple in Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Nagar (SVP Nagar), located about 10 kilometres east of the city centre.

The inscription, carved on white granite and written in Kannada script, dates back to 948 AD — making it 1,076 years old. Measuring two feet wide and two and a half feet tall, the six-line text was found on the east-facing wall inside the temple, which locals previously believed to be only 200 to 300 years old.

What the inscription reveals

The inscription is believed to have been carved during the reign of But