ASI identifies sculpture depicting Adi Shankaracharya in Karnataka village
The Archaeological Survey of India is searching thousands of inscriptions to find historical evidence of the philosopher's travels and teachings.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has confirmed that a sculpture found last month in Hampapura village, Mysuru district, depicts Adi Shankaracharya, according to The New Indian Express. The idol was recovered from a ninth-century brick structure in the KR Nagar taluk area.
ASI epigraphy director K Munirathnam Reddy said the department is currently examining a collection of over 84,000 inscriptions to find references to the philosopher. This project, assigned by the Union Ministry of Education, began two weeks ago to compile epigraphic records for academic research and curriculum development.
The ASI has identified more than 86 locations believed to be visited by Shankaracharya, including Kanchipuram, Srisailam, Tirupati, and Varanasi. The team is reviewing databases from sites such as Srisailam, which has 645 inscriptions, and Kanchipuram, which has 625.
One significant find is an 11th-century bilingual inscription at the Kailasanatha temple in Cholamadevi, Tiruchirappalli. Reddy noted that this record shows Shankaracharya's philosophical writings were being taught in the Chola region during that period.
G Sankaranarayanan, a professor at National Sanskrit University, Tirupati, said the project could reveal more evidence regarding the travels and influence of the philosopher. Reddy added that the team is also investigating new information regarding visits to places in Amravati.
Reddy will meet with Union Ministry of Education officials on November 6 to discuss the progress of the project. Once authenticated, the documented inscriptions will be digitised and uploaded to BharatSHRI.