15th-Century Inscription Uncovered in Southern Indian Drain

ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA—New Indian Express reports that an inscription has been discovered in a drain in the village of Maruturu, which is located near India’s southern coastline, by archaeologist E. Sivanagireddy and a group of young volunteers. Written in Telugu in A.D. 1453, the text is a record of a gift of money to a Shiva temple in the village for its regular maintenance, and was issued by the emperor, Mallikarjuna Devaraya (reigned 1446–1465). The inscription had been located within the temple until a few decades ago, when it was removed during a renovation, according to a local priest. Sivanagireddy has been working to preserve local monuments in a campaign called “Preserve Heritage for Prosperity.” He has asked that the inscription be removed from the drain and returned to the temple on a pedestal with a plaque explaining its history. To read about the ruined temples of a medieval city in southern India, go to “Letter from India: Living Heritage at Risk.”