Mysuru: A white granite slab at the entrance of a Mandir in Mandya district went unnoticed by generations of devotees until scholars recently recognised its historical and cultural significance.
An inscription on a slab at Sri Mahalakshmi Mandir in K. Bettahalli, Pandavapura taluk, has offered a glimpse into the 12th century, revealing close ties between Hoysala-era Karnataka and Tamilakam.
Scholars from the Mysuru-based Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Kannada (CESCK) have determined that this rare, previously unpublished inscription dates to the reign of Hoysala King Narasimha I (1152–1173 CE). Carved in Kannada script, the nine-line inscription features Kannada, Tamil, and Sanskrit, which experts say reflects a shared cultural and linguistic heritage.
C. A. Shashidhara, Junior Archaeologist at CESCK, said the inscription opens with the auspicious invocation “Svastishri” and features the royal emblems of the conch (shanka) and discus (chakra).
CESCK Project Director N. M. Talwar said the inscription records a land grant by Karikudi Tillai Koottandi, a Dandanayaka (military commander) of Tamil origin. Koottandi donated the village of Mudana Battahalli, present-day K. Bettahalli, to support rituals and festivals at the Sri Vittirunda (Krishna) Mandir, located at Sri Yadava Narayana Chaturvedi Mangala (modern Keretonnuru).
“This clearly shows that Tamilians held senior positions in the Hoysala military and actively patronized mandirs across Karnataka. It reflects a deep, everyday connection between the two regions,” Talwar noted.
The discovery was made possible with local inputs provided to archaeologist C. A. Shashidhara, who recognised the stone’s historical value. The Mahalakshmi Mandir has undergone extensive renovation, erasing most of its original features. Apart from the inscription and a broken soapstone ‘kalasha’ near the sanctum, very little remains to indicate the mandir’s age.
“We also found an inscription on the pedestal of the goddess that reads ‘Sri Mahalakshmi Deviyaru’ in Hoysala script. If these remnants are lost, an 850-year-old history will vanish,” Shashidhara warned.
Archaeologist N. S. Rangaraju added that Koottandi’s land grant was not an isolated act. “Records from nearby Tonnur (Kere) show that the commander had previously purchased the land for 80 gadyanas to donate it to the same deity. These findings highlight a shared past, where language, authority, and faith transcended regional boundaries,” he said.
