TIRUMALA: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has agreed in principle to allot 2 acres of land to the Union Ministry of Culture for the establishment of a National Museum of Epigraphy in Tirupati.
The decision was finalised at a key meeting attended by TTD Executive Officer M Ravi Chandra, Chairman BR Naidu, Union Minister for Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Ministry of Culture Secretary Vivek, and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) Director General Yadhuveer Singh.
According to ASI Director (Epigraphy) K Munirathnam Reddy, the museum will serve as a premier research and educational centre dedicated to preserving and showcasing India’s rich inscriptional heritage spanning several millennia.
The museum will feature rare stone and copper-plate inscriptions, photo murals and interactive information kiosks explaining ancient Indian history.
Scholars, students and visitors will have access to information on early writing systems that shaped civilisation, including Brahmi and Kharosthi, along with regional scripts such as Sharada, Tankri, Gupta and Shankhalipi.
The museum will showcase Ashokan-era Brahmi inscriptions in Prakrit, regarded as among the earliest deciphered epigraphic records in India, as well as Kharosthi inscriptions from the Gandhara region, which provide valuable insights into early socio-cultural exchanges.
Transitional scripts and derivatives of the Gupta script will also be displayed, tracing the evolution of writing from ancient stone inscriptions to modern alphabets.
Students of epigraphy will gain practical exposure to deciphering dynastic histories, administrative records and socio-economic life through ancient copper-plate land grants and stone edicts.
Munirathnam Reddy said original inscriptions dating from 2500 BCE to the 17th century would be exhibited, offering visitors a rare opportunity to understand India’s intellectual, cultural and linguistic evolution. He thanked TTD Chairman B.R. Naidu and EO M. Ravi Chandra for supporting the project.
TTD Additional EO Ch Venkaiah Choudary said the museum is being planned to engage pilgrims for up to five hours, providing them with a rich cultural and historical experience alongside their spiritual visit.
The initiative is expected to strengthen Tirupati’s position as a major centre for heritage tourism and academic research while preserving India’s invaluable inscriptional legacy for future generations.