6 days ago
Odisha's 1st inscribed ‘Vrishabha Vahana' found at Paralakhemundi
Berhampur: In a discovery echoing spiritual grandeur and historical resonance, a 296-year-old bronze 'Vrishabha Vahana' (bull mount of Lord Shiva) bearing an Odia inscription has been unearthed at the ancient Ramalingeswar Temple, nestled near the sacred Ramasagar on the threshold of Paralakhemundi in Gajapati district.
The rare inscription, etched delicately onto the body of the bronze bull, has been deciphered by epigraphist Bishnu Mohan Adhikari, who dates it to the era of Gajapati Narayana Deva I, a monarch of the illustrious Ganga dynasty in the 18th century.
As decoded by Adhikari, the bronze bull was a sacred offering made during the Shiva Vivaha festival by a merchant named Aishiraju Narasingulu from the Khadura community. Forged in the exquisite Kalinga style of 'dhatu vigraha,' the image exemplifies not just religious fervour but Odisha's enduring artistic craftsmanship. What makes this discovery extraordinary is its epigraphic uniqueness. It is the first-known bronze bull in India with an Odia inscription, elevating it to the ranks of national antiquarian treasures.
While Tamil Nadu and Karnataka boast of similar artifacts, this is Odisha's earliest known Odia-script Vrishabha inscription, previously unseen in temple bronzes across the region.
Comparable inscriptions were so far only recorded on the Neelachakra of Athagada Patana and Puri Jagannath temples, or on the Padmapada pedestals of deities.
This bull, however, marks the first instance of an 'utsava-vigraha' (festival image) inscribed in Odia, signifying both ritualistic and linguistic heritage.
The inscription also unveils fascinating details: the crafting of the bull cost 217 tankas at toula 60 madangas, a rare economic reference illuminating the trade and devotion practices of the time.
This remarkable discovery not only enriches the cultural annals of Odisha but positions Ramalingeswar Temple as a beacon of heritage, where bronze, belief and language converge to narrate a forgotten chapter of devotion and dynasty.
