ANANTAPUR: Ancient inscriptions, hero stones and idols of Shiva Linga and Nandi have been unearthed in Cholemarri village, 22 km from Penukonda in Sri Sathya Sai district, historian MyNaa Swamy revealed. He found them while researching about the history of Nolamba Pallavas. In a statement issued on Sunday, MyNaa Swamy explained that a fierce battle took place in Cholemarri between the rulers of the Nolamba Pallavas and the Bhana-Vaidambas in the ninth century AD.
An inscription of Mahendra Nolambadhi Raja, the ruler of Henjeru (now known as Hemavati, near Madakasira), was unearthed in the fields on the eastern side of Cholemarri with the help of villagers, he added. “Large hero stones embedded in the ground on the bank of a canal behind Anjaneyaswamy temple were also found. A Telugu inscription dating back to the Vijayanagara Dynasty was spotted on the hero stones from the Nolamba and Vijayanagara periods,” the historian explained.
Stating that the inscription, located east of Cholemarri village, dates back to the Nolamba Pallava King - Mahendra Nolambadhi Raja (875-897) regime, he said the ancient Kannada script used is highly coherent. Urging authorities of the Archeology Departments of both the Central and State governments to conduct excavations in the vicinity of Cholemarri village, he said the battlefield could potentially reveal numerous historical monuments that lie beneath the soil.