The discovery of 30 inscriptions has drawn attention to Abbana Bettu Basadi in Mudaru village, Karkala taluk, Udupi district. Among them, 29 are written in Kannada script, while one is in Nagari, featuring only the name of a Tirthankara.
The inscriptions were discovered in various locations within the 450-year-old basadi. Two were found behind the stone idols of Parshwanatha Tirthankara, 24 on the pedestals of brass idols representing the 24 Jain Tirthankaras, one on a metal idol of Parshwanatha Tirthankara, one on a cymbal, and two more on the ornate silver arches of the Adinatha Tirthankara statue.
“This discovery is important as it contributes 30 new inscriptions to the already extensive collection,” said historian Dr. Ravikumar K. Navalagunda, who made the find.
The earliest inscription dates back to the reign of Saluva Bhairarasa (Bhairarasa II), a ruler of the Kalasa-Karkala Jain dynasty in the late 16th century. This 16-line inscription records that Lakshmamanadevi, the wife of Saluva Bhairarasa, commissioned a list of 24 Tirthankaras and donated it to the basadi. It also mentions religious rituals held at Parshwanatha Basadi, near Karkala palace, in her name.
This inscription sheds light on Lakshmamanadevi’s previously unknown role within the Bhairarasa (Santara) dynasty, which is renowned for contributions like the Gomateshwara statue in Karkala.
Another 16th-century inscription found on the Parshwanatha Tirthankara statue reveals that it was commissioned by a patron named Devarasa.
The inscriptions on the brass Tirthankara pedestals identify the individuals who commissioned these idols. While the cymbal features an inscription from the 18th century, the inscriptions on the silver arches are the most recent among the discoveries, dating back to the 19th century.
Also known as Atikari Basadi, the settlement is named after the Atikari family, who not only originally built the basadi but also contributed 12 of the 24 brass Tirthankara idols, the cymbal, and land for the Jain temple’s maintenance.
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