HYDERABAD: An inscription from 1403 AD carved on a huge rock in the precincts of Gandhari Fort in Mancherial district deciphered by a Hyderabad-based-historian has unlocked decades long mystery as to who was ruler from the only rock-cut fort in Telangana. It also shows how some traditions continue for centuries and has unveiled how Vaishnavism was propagated in this area once, which is now famous for the Gandhari maisamma jatara. The photograph of the inscription was clicked by state department of Archaeology two decades ago but was not deciphered until now.
Dyavanapalli Satyanarayana, who deciphered the inscription says that the ruler’s name in inscription is mentioned as Peddiraju Anantaraju, who was a vassal during reign of king Anapota-II who used to rule from Rachakonda in the present day Nalgonda district.Satyanarayana points out that even now people residing in the area have either Peddiraju or a modified form of the word, Peddi or Peddulu in their names. Name of the present priest in a famous temple located in the fort is Peddulu. During the Gandhari maisamma jatara tradition, known as “ranam kudupu” is still followed which dates back to the rule of Anapota-II. The tradition was a religious ritual practiced during a battle which included conducting sacrifice of animals, which is conducted even now in the jatara.
Although presently it is a goddess to whom a famous temple located on the Gandhari fort is dedicated, the inscription shows that the ruler Peddiraju was propagating Vaishnavism in the area during his reign. A proof of it is the inscription which Satyanarayana deciphered. The inscription says that the king Peddiraju Anantaraju dedicated the “hanumanta thiruvani pratishtha”. The thiruvani refers to shankha, chakra and namam, which are symbols associated with Hindu god Vishnu. It also has a carving of the Hindu god Hanuman beside carvings of the Vaishnavism symbols. Satyanarayana says, “Even today those who have Peddiraju or its modified version in their name wear the Vaishnava symbols and are hence known as Thirumanidharulu. They invoke the Vaishnava cult propagator Singhabhupala by the name of Singaboya. They belong to Padmanayaka caste like their ancestors and now fall in the tribal category.”