Historian MyNaa Swamy urges preservation of inscriptions

Historian MyNaa Swamy has urged the Central Government to take special steps to preserve ancient inscriptions in the southern part of the country before they are lost to time.

Speaking to media persons on Wednesday at the Madhavaraya Temple in Gorantla, he said that hundreds of inscriptions have been reduced to rubble because the Archaeological Survey of India has not taken concrete steps, and the situation should not be repeated in the future. He is sending a letter to the Union Minister of Archaeology and Culture, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, urging him to take immediate action.

MyNaa Swamy lamented that although the Epigraphy Department under the Archaeological Survey of India is located in Mysuru, its performance in preserving and propagating inscriptions has not been up to the mark. He had appealed to the Mysuru Epigraphy Department to retrieve and preserve some inscriptions in remote areas, but it was of no avail.

The historian pointed out that inscriptions at ancient temples, forts, and historical sites from Hampi to Srikalahasti have crumbled because no special measures have been taken. The Chalivendula inscription (1531 CE), which describes the Taluva dynasty that ruled the Vijayanagara Empire, was fragmented by January 2018. Similarly, two large boulders with inscriptions near the Gorantla Madhavaraya Temple were smashed. The destruction of these inscriptions is just one example of hundreds lost to posterity.

In his letter, MyNaa Swamy appealed to the Union Minister to direct authorities to prepare an action plan for preservation by conducting extensive field visits, rather than relying on others through WhatsApp.