A Rare Anjaneya Sculpture found on Dated Inscription in Kundapur
Udupi: Commonly we find Shiva lingam on the epigraphs but in some occasions Vaishnava Images like Vishnu, Krishna or Shanka and Chakra are found. In a remarkable discovery, the Anjaneya sculpture was found on a dated inscription according to Prof. T. Murugeshi, Associate Professor of History and Archaeology MSRS College, Shirva- Udupi.
This unpublished inscription is newly discovered by the professor, Pradeep Basruru and Kiran Kumar Edmer at Bhogaramakki near Shankaranarayana in Kundapura taluk of the Udupi district. Shankaranarayana temple of Shankaranarayana is the famous religious centre of both Shiva and Vishnu. The said inscription under study is a do-native inscription of Vijayanagara empire of Bukkaraya I. It was dated in Saka 1293, Virodhikrit Samvat, which corresponding to 1371. A.D. on this dated record, as a symbol of Shankara, the bull is shown on the right side and as a symbol of Narayana, the Anjaneya was shown on the left side. The Goparasa Odeya was governing Barakuru under the Bukka I.
The Hanuman was a very popular deity of Karnataka and every village has its shrine. It was said that after Vadiraja of Sode math, who was a religious pontiff of Krishnadevaraya “the Hanuman cult” was popular. But, the discovery of this new record is very clearly indicated that the Hanuman cult was a Bhagavata Cult and much earlier then Vadiraja.
The figure Hanuman facing left and standing in a hero pose. The right hand is rising above and left one placing on waist. The tail was shown like Prabhavali with a small bell. It is a landmark in the study of Hanuman which provided a benchmark to understand the evolution of Hanuman sculptures of South India.
Report submitted by Prof T Murugesh