Epigraphic findings throw new light on southwest Odisha's history

Researchers crack ancient Chindaka Naga dynasty inscription on a fragmented pillar at Jeypore Museum which was originally brought from the Bhairabsinghpur-Kumli-Kamta region in the Indravati valley

- POST NEWS NETWORK

A groundbreaking discovery by epigraphist Bishnu Mohan Adhikari is set to transform the historical understanding of the Chindaka Naga dynasty, a dominant 1ith-century ruling clan.

During a visit to the Jeypore Museum recently, Adhikari, accompanied by Sarat Routray and Himansu Sekhar Sadangi, deciphered a previously undocumented inscription on a stone pillar. This finding offers fresh insights into the history of southwestern Odisha and the broader Chakrakota (Bastar) region in present-day Chhat-tisgarh.

Adhikari, a renowned epigraphist with 124 decipherments to his name, spotted the inscribed pillar in the museum’s verandah which remained unnoticed since the museum's founding in 1976 by IAS officer Jiban Pani.

After gaining permission from the museum authorities, the team took an estampage of the 16-line inscription.

According to Adhikari, the stone is a fragmented pillar bearing the inscription. The pillar, measuring approximately 7 feet 4 inches in base with a height of 26 by 7 inches, was originally brought from the Bhairabsinghpur-Kumli-Kamta region in the Indravati valley.