Bileshivale (Bengaluru) Inscriptions and Herostones

Bileshivale is a historic locality in Bengaluru. An inscription at Bileshivale is being documented here for the first time. It documents existence of a temple in the 14th century at Bileshivale, the location of which cannot be ascertained. This inscription shows that Kalkere, the lake and the place are at least 700 years old.

Discovery And Dating
This inscription was first noticed in 1911 by R Narasimhachar (Head, Mysore Archaeological Department) and documented in the Annual Report of The Archaeological Survey Of Mysore For The Year 1910 To 1912. Subsequently, There is no mention of the inscription in literature. Kalkere Lake guardian Mark Mackenna Anthony noticed this inscription near a sewage drain during his morning stroll in 2018. It has since been conserved opposite Creative School, L G Lakedew, Bileshivale.

In 2022 this inscription was identified and 3D digital scanned by the Mythic Society Bengaluru Inscriptions 3D Digital Conservation Project team based on media reports about the inscription.

Transliteration Of The Text
The inscription is in Tamil and the script is Grantha and Tamil. The inscription was deciphered by Citizen Epigraphists, Soundari Rajkumar & Pon Karthikeyan. As the text flows from the left side of the stone to the front side, the table below consolidates text from both sides into one line for ease of reading purposes The exact transliteration of the inscription in Kannada and ISAT (line numbers are not part of the original inscription, including them is a default practice with inscriptions) are as follows:

Summary Of The Text
MAR mentions the inscription on two stones, today, only one of these is traceable. So rather than provide an incomplete summary based on this one stone, a complete summary is provided here based on the narration in MAR. This inscription explains that during the rule of Rajadiraja Raja Parameshwara Vira Harirayan, Damodara Settiyar of Kalkere, who was the superintendent of Tenkuru Nadu in Sannai Nadu of Nigarili Sola Mandalam had made this lamp pillar.