A staff member taking impression of inscriptions found in Lankamala reserve forest in Kadapa district on Thursday, in an initiative taken up by Archeological Survey of India (ASI).
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has embarked on an ambitious programme of taking estampages of the ancient inscriptions dating between 4^th to 15^th Century CE, found in the Sri Lankamalleswara wildlife sanctuary tucked deep inside the Siddavatam forest range of Kadapa district.

Thirty inscriptions were found in the interior forest which were found to be written in Brahmi, Nagari, Telugu scripts, and some in shell characters in Sanskrit, Praakrit and Telugu.

The six-member team from ASI reached Siddavatam on Thursday (February 26, 2025) and trekked through the deep woods with the help of local forest officials led by Range Officer B. Kalavati.

The delegation is scheduled to visit Gopalaswamy temple, Kailasakona, Kanathigundam, Uppagunthally, Nitya Puja Swamy Kona and Akkadevathala temples, ending their tour with Lankamalleswara Swamy temple. In the process, they will look for inscriptions and record them in the form of estampages.

Speaking to The Hindu, ASI Director (Epigraphy) Muniratnam Reddy attributed the ‘adventurous expedition’ to the forest guards who had first sighted the inscriptions during their combing operations and shared photographs of the same with their higher-ups, to be forwarded finally to the ASI.

He also thanked the Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, who holds the Environment and Forest portfolio, for extending support to the initiative.