Why in the News?

During a recent archaeological exploration at Someshwara near Mangaluru, Karnataka, archaeologists unearthed a rare inscription related to the Alupa dynasty.

About the Someshwara inscription:

• This inscription holds great importance in understanding Tuluva history and culture.
• It features two panels on top, with the first line carved between them.
• The rest of the inscription, inscribed below the panels in Kannada script and the language of 12th century characters, announces Alupendra I's death.
• The human figures depicted in the inscription are KulashekaraAlupendra.
  • He is depicted in the first figure standing in Tribhanga (tri-bent stance).
  • He is holding a sword in his right hand and a gurani (shield) in his left.
• The King is represented in a sitting posture on a mound to the left of this panel, separated by a pillar, resting both palms on the center of his legs in dhyana mudra.

About the Alupa dynasty:

• The Alupa dynasty, active from the 2nd to the 15th century CE, ruled over Alvakheda Arusasira in the coastal regions of modern Karnataka.
• Initially independent, they later became vassals to powers like the Kadambas, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, and Hoysalas due to shifting politics in Southern India.
• They practiced matrilineal inheritance.
• Their descendants, known as the Bunt, continue to follow this system and bear surnames like Shetty, Rai, Hegde, Alva, and Chowta.
• While most are Hindus, some still follow Jainism.
• The last Alupa king, Kulasekharadeva Alupendradeva, is documented through a 1444 CE inscription in Mudabidri's Jain Basadi.