Historical inscriptions found at Yelehole

DAVANGERE: Inscriptions belonging to the 15th Century during the rule of the Vijayanagara Empire were found at Yelehole village in Harihar taluk. According to researcher and historian Burudekatte Manjappa, two written inscriptions and four hero stones found near the Kalleshwara Temple. These were unpublished inscriptions where, in one stone inscription, there was a 19-line wording that talks about a donation given for the rejuvenation of Kalleshwara Temple.“The Kalleshwara Temple was covered in a heap of mud when we visited the village. After it was excavated, the temple sanctum sanctorum was found to have a Shivalingam, a Basavanna statue opposite it, the symbol of a tiger, lord Brahma sitting on a swan, Ganesha and Vishnu carved on the roof top of the temple navaranga,” Manjappa told Express.The Temple was built in the Hoysala and Chalukya style architecture. Upon close observation, one inscription was found to have a sage with long hair worshiping Eshwara along which some unreadable text was found, Manjappa said.  The village elder Dillappajja said that the temple was covered with mud to protect it from thieves since the ancient idols were valuable, he added. Identification marks of Jain art and sculpture were found inside the temple, he said, adding that the village was ruled by the Hoysalas.