Jeypore, Jul 30: In a groundbreaking discovery that deepens the historical narrative of Odisha, a 16-line Sanskrit eulogy carved in the Odra Nagari script-the earliest form of the Odia writing system-has been successfully deciphered. Found on a fragmented stone pillar at the Jeypore Museum in Koraput, this inscription is being hailed as the oldest known epigraphic record from the region and a vital link between Odisha and Bastar's early medieval history.
Renowned epigraphist Bishnu Mohan Adhikari led the decipherment. The inscription, composed in a form of corrupted Sanskrit, celebrates a Chindaka Naga king referred to with the grand title “Madana Nrpa Kula Kamala Bhaskara Tilaka”-meaning “the sun among the lotus of the Chindaka Naga clan.”
Significant words such as “Bikantha Sri Karana,” “Kasa Dasa,” and “Damodara” found within the text reflect emerging patterns of early Odia language development, providing a rare linguistic bridge between ancient Sanskritic traditions and the regional vernacular.
The stone pillar originally came from the Indravati valley region-specifically Bhairabsinghpur-Kamta-Kumli-a historically significant area that once lay on the frontier of Odisha and Chakrakota (modern-day Bastar, Chhattisgarh). The inscription is stylistically and politically linked to the reign of Someswara Deva (1069–1110 CE), a prominent ruler of the Chindaka Naga dynasty.
Adding to its uniqueness, the inscription is etched alongside an unusual erotic motif of a donkey and pig, a rare feature also observed in other Naga dynasty artefacts, further confirming its dynastic origin.
Historians now believe this inscription predates the famed Khechela copper plate, making it the earliest written record from the Koraput region. This discovery is not only significant for understanding the spread of the Chindaka Naga dynasty but also offers critical insights into the evolution of the Odia script, tribal culture, and Odisha’s historic interactions with the Bastar region.
