Udupi: A 17th-century stone inscription preserved outside a house in Mala village of Karkala taluk has been documented and studied by researchers for the first time.The 15-line inscription, written in Kannada script and language, states that it was commissioned at Mallura, present-day Mallar, by Malaiya with the consent of the elders. However, it neither names a ruler nor specifies the purpose for which it was installed. As the Karkala region was ruled by the Bhairarasa dynasty during the period mentioned in the inscription, the researcher believes it may date to their reign.The house, known as Malachowki Dharmachavadi Heggadathi, is located in Mala gram panchayat. According to Pandiraja Pergade and his brother Raviraja Pergade, the inscription was earlier located near the Duggallaya daivagunda of the Dharmachavadi house. When the house was expanded over time, the stone was preserved and installed outside the building.With no official records relating to the inscription available, Prof SA Krishnaiah, director of studies at the Prachya Sanchaya Research Centre, Udupi, visited the site with his research team and examined it. The visit was undertaken based on preliminary information provided by noted ayurveda practitioner P Satyanarayana Bhat.History and archaeology researcher Shruthesh Acharya Moodubelle studied the unpublished inscription.History and archaeology researcher Shashanth Palli, along with history enthusiasts Keshava Dongre and Yadugopan KR, assisted in the field investigation.
