Sleepless in the city

Custodians of 800-year-old inscriptions scared to reveal new home address

Custodians of 800-year-old inscriptions scared to reveal new home address

The Purohit family, possessor of priceless inscriptions dating back to the Vijaynagar empire, is living in fear after shifting to Bangalore because their treasures are unprotected.

Dattatreya Purohit, descendant of the priestly family of the Vijaynagar Empire, moved here from Dandeli last week with son Shivaram Purohit, a Syndicate Bank employee.

All in the family: Shivaram Purohit, his daughter and wife proudly hold up three sets of inscriptions

They refuse to talk about the centuries-old inscriptions, the only known evidence to support the birth of the Empire, and will not divulge details of their address.

"We are worried as we are in a new place and reports of these inscriptions are coming out everywhere," said Shivaram. "The Purohits are gripped by fear," said Hampi Maheshwar, a family friend.u00a0u00a0 "They have precious inscriptions with no facilities from authorities to protect or preserve them."

The treasure

The first of these inscriptions is a five copper-plated inscription through which emperor Harihara announced the birth of the Vijaynagara Empire on 18 April 1336.

The other two are three copper-plated inscriptions by rulers Immadi Ballala and Immadi Harihara. While two of them are in Devanagari script, the third is in old Kannada.

"These are the only available evidence of the birth of the Vijaynagar empire and have been proved to be genuine," said Dr D V Paramashivamurthy, head of the department of epigraphy, Kannada University, Hampi.

Royal gifts

The Purohit family, which conducted priestly activities in Vijayanagar, was gifted these inscriptions in return for services rendered.

Historians discovered and authenticated them in 2004. They also appealed to the state to preserve the inscriptions but nothing came of it.

State's stand

But state government officials say they can do nothing as long as the family holds on to the treasure.
"The family should hand it to us voluntarily. We will then take necessary steps," said R Gopal, director, department of archaeology and museums.u00a0
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But Paramashivamurthy feels that's no excuse.

"Though the family earlier refused to hand it over to the state for sentimental reasons, the government is empowered to take over and preserve it. Since the family is having trouble protecting it, the state's intervention will help," he said.