A stone inscription was found near the Chandrashekara temple in Guttala, Haveri district, Karnataka.
It records the death of 6,307 people due to a drought, making it the first historical epigraphic record of a humanitarian disaster in India.
The inscription is dated August 18, 1539 CE (Saka 1461) and is written in the Kannada language and script.
It states that Marulaih Odeya buried the bodies by carrying them in baskets, as an act of devotion, under the rule of Timmarasa Svami.
A sculpture alongside shows a man (likely Marulaih Odeya) carrying bodies in a basket on his head.
Experts say this discovery is important for understanding how past societies documented and dealt with natural disasters.
Such inscriptions offer insights into historical socio-economic conditions, often not found in written literature.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) sees this as part of a broader effort to study climate history and community responses.
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.
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