ASI discovers two rare Brahmi inscriptions at Telangana’s Gundaram rock shelter

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has discovered two Brahmi inscriptions at the Gundaram rock shelter in Telangana, providing fresh evidence on the region's early history and the Satavahana period.

Telangana is home to a rich array of early Brahmi inscriptions etched on rock shelters, caves and boulders. Most of these inscriptions, dating from between the 3rd century BCE and the 1st century CE, document the region's ancient Buddhist heritage, early dynasties such as the Satavahanas, and major religious transitions.

The newly documented inscriptions at the Gundaram shelter in Peddapalli district are rare 1st-century BCE Prakrit records that primarily refer to the excavation of caves for Buddhist monks and feature early auspicious religious symbols.

"One of the Brahmi inscriptions records that a member of the Hāritiputra lineage, likely belonging to the Chuṭu dynasty and a friend of the Satavahana prince Kumāra Hakusiri, excavated the cave for Buddhist monks, suggesting a link between the Chuṭus and the Satavahanas," an ASI official said.

"The second inscription mentions that the area east of the hill was under the authority of Siri Devarāna. It also features the trident and 'damaru' symbols, making it the earliest known inscription in South India to include these auspicious symbols alongside the text," the official added.

According to the ASI, the epigraphical discoveries trace the widespread influence of Buddhism across the Deccan plateau.

The presence of inscriptions from two distinct religious traditions and different time periods at the same site offers a compelling account of the region's religious evolution. It suggests that Buddhism flourished in the 1st century BCE before gradually declining by the 6th century CE with the rise of Hindu sects such as the Kalamukhas, the official said.

The findings not only deepen the understanding of the Deccan's dynamic religious history but also open new avenues for archaeological and cultural research in Telangana.

The Brahmi script is the earliest major writing system developed in ancient India and the ancestor of nearly all modern South Asian scripts, including Devanagari, Tamil, Telugu and Bengali. It is a semi-alphabetic script that is generally written from left to right.

The best-known Brahmi inscriptions are the rock and pillar edicts of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka. Found across the Indian subcontinent, they include the Girnar Rock Edict in Gujarat and the Dhauli Edicts in Odisha, which outline Buddhist principles and administrative policies in Prakrit.