The sculptural inscription found near Chandrashekara temple at Guttala in Haveri district. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

A sculptural inscription discovered near Chandrashekara temple at Guttala in Haveri district of Karnataka has documented the death of 6,307 people due to drought in the local area, making it the first such historical record of a humanitarian disaster caused by a natural calamity in India.

The discovery, made by R. Shejeshwar, Director, State Archaeology Department, Hampi, has been hailed as a significant addition to India’s epigraphic heritage. The inscription is dated Saka 1461, Vikari, Bhadrapada su.5, which corresponds to August 18, 1539 CE, according to K. Munirathnam Reddy, Director, Epigraphy, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

In Kannada language

He said the inscription is in the Kannada language and script, and it solemnly records the tragedy, marking it as one of the large-scale natural calamities documented epigraphically in Indian history.

The text, inscribed on a stone slab, states that 6,307 people had perished due to bara or drought. It notes that their bodies were buried by Marulaih Odeya, son of Nanideva Odeya of Guttavalala, by carrying them in baskets for the merit of Timmarasa Svami, the ruler of the seeme (a territorial division), after paying obeisance to the feet of god Basaveshwara. The inscription is accompanied by a sculpture depicting a person — ostensibly Marulaih Odeya — carrying a basket containing two or three bodies on his head.

Rare and explicit

Mr. Munirathnam described the findings as a landmark, as the inscription is rare and explicitly documents the human toll of drought. Inscriptions such as the one at Guttala provide an insight into the socio-economic conditions that prevailed during historical periods, and these are often absent in literary texts. Through comparative studies, it may even be possible to understand how communities coped with such calamities, he said.

A broader study of similar inscriptions across regions and periods can deepen our understanding of the historical impact of natural calamities and the responses they evoked, according to Mr. Munirathnam. He said it could also help researchers trace climatic patterns, while scholars might uncover details of administrative action or demographic changes based on such records.

The epigraphy branch of the ASI, discovered and copied over 1,000 inscriptions from the length and breadth of India, including in deep jungles during 2024-25. This year, more than 100 inscriptions have been discovered so far, reinforcing the importance of epigraphy in reconstructing and understanding the history of India.