Veeragallu at Neeragunda in Arsikere taluk throws light on Hoysala ruler Vishnuvardhana’s last day

Villagers in Neeragunda, in Arsikere taluk, have stumbled upon a centuries-old veeragallu (hero stone) bearing a Kannada inscription that could resolve long-standing confusion over the date of the death of Vishnuvardhana, the celebrated ruler of the Hoysala dynasty.

The village has two Hoysala-era temples — Malleshwara and Lakshmi Narayana Swamy. The latter had fallen into a dilapidated state, prompting residents to undertake its restoration, raising funds from villagers and others interested in preserving Hoysala structures. Hoysala is the prominent dynasty that ruled many parts of today’s Karnataka and Tamil Nadu between the 11th and the 14th centuries. Belur and Halebid, now in Hassan district, were capitals of the dynasty.

Stones unearthed

While workers were engaged in foundation work on June 28, they unearthed two stone slabs bearing sculptural work, which were later brought to the notice of researchers. One of them carried an inscription.

Shashidhar H.G., who works for an IT company in Bengaluru and has a keen interest in Hoysala architecture, has so far documented over 600 Hoysala temples. He visited the site and identified the two slabs as veeragallus, one of which carried a significant inscription. Veeragallus are memorial stones placed in honour of warriors.

“I read the inscription in old Kannada and verified the content with other experts in the field. Going by the text, one can say it is a veeragallu installed by Maravve, a resident of Neeragunda, in memory of her husband, Boppa, a soldier, who sacrificed his life soon after Vishnuvardhana’s death at Bankapura. The date mentioned in the inscription, as per the Hindu calendar, is Ekadashi of Pushya Masa of Durmathi Samvatsara, in the year 1064. This corresponds to December 11, 1141, as per the Gregorian calendar,” Mr. Shashidhar said.

An inscription found at Neeragunda in Arsikere taluk refers to the death of Hoysala ruler Vishnuvardhana.
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Vishnuvardhana is believed to have died at Bankapura, now in Haveri district. There has been confusion over the date of his death, with some scholars maintaining he died in 1152 and others arguing for 1149. “There have been differing views on the ruler’s last days. However, we believe the inscription found in Neeragunda will help resolve the confusion. We have shared the information with the Karnataka Itihasa Academy and other scholars,” Mr. Shashidhar said.

Scholars verifying

H.C. Kumar, curator of Government Museum at Hassan, under the Department of Archaeology, Museums, and Heritage, said he too visited the site soon after learning of the discovery. “The inscription is significant and appears to throw light on the last days of the ruler, a period that has remained unclear so far. The text has been deciphered, and scholars are verifying and analysing it further,” he said.

The villagers have taken up the restoration of the temple at a cost of ₹13 lakh. So far, they have raised and spent ₹7 lakh. “As of now, the work has been stopped due to a shortage of funds. The temple should be restored and the inscription protected,” said Mr. Shashidhar.