Hyderabad:

Telugu inscriptions dating back to 1517 CE have been found in parts of Telangana by the Archaeological Survey of India.  The find comes months after a treasure trove of inscriptions and rock art was found in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. 

The ASI team found the inscriptions at Narasimhulagutta, Anantagiri, Rajanna Sircilla district.

Officials said the inscription is a praise of various local Hindu gods, and records the construction of a Vishnu temple on top of a hill in Anantagiri.

Earlier this year, inscriptions that are 800 to 2000 years old were found in Lankkamala Reserve Forest in Andhra Pradesh. The survey by the Archaeological Survey of India also found rock art thought to be from the megalithic period.

It was said to be the biggest archaeological find in recent times.

The survey led to the discovery of three rock shelters. One of these contained stunning prehistoric paintings depicting animals, geometric patterns, and human figures, officials said. 

The paintings, dating back to the Megalithic (Iron Age) and early historic periods (2500 BCE-2nd century CE), were created using natural materials like red ochre, kaolin, animal fat, and crushed bones.

Telangana also has a rich heritage in terms of rock inscriptions that provide glimpses of its history. Last year, an ASI team found three inscriptions from the Chalukya period in Vikarabad’s Kankal village. 

The oldest-known rock inscription in Telugu in the state is the Keesara Gutta inscription, that dates back to 420 CE.

There is also the Bommalagutta inscription in Karimnagar and one from the 9th century in Warangal.