A team of researchers has found a rare Anjaneya inscription at Bhogaramakki near Shankaranarayana in Kundapur taluk of Udupi district. The figure of Lord Hanuman in the latest inscription from back to 1371 AD, is thought to be one of the oldest figures of the deity in the region.
An associate prof. of history and archaeology, T Murugeshi said, “It is a landmark in the study of Lord Hanuman and provides a benchmark to understand the evolution of his sculptures in the region. We usually find the Shiva Linga on top of the epigraphs and there are a few rare inscriptions with Vaishnava images like those of Vishnu, Krishna or Shankha and Chakra. But this inscription has an image of Anjaneya or Hanuman along with Nandi,”
Rare Anjaneya epigraph
The figure of Hanuman is facing left and is standing in a warrior pose. The right hand is rising above and left one placing on waist. The tail was shown like Prabhavali with a small bell. However, it is a landmark in the study of Hanuman which provided a benchmark to understand the evolution of Hanuman sculptures of South India.
The content of the inscription is not of great importance as it speaks about a grant given to the temple. But it looks that the carvings of the deities have grabbed the attention of historians. According to them, iconographically most of the idols here dates back to the 14th century, which indicates that Hanuman worship became popular in the region during the Vijayanagara period.
Source: DECCAN CHRONICLE
