Adventures around SRS betta

During my recent trek to Sri Revana Siddeshwara Hill (SRS Betta for locals), I learnt about the grand Rathotsava, the festival of the temple chariot that had been planned for the last week of May. 

SRS is a popular hill among devotees and trekkers with its breathtaking panoramic view of the surrounding hills and water bodies. The cave temple of Sri Revana Siddeshwara, snuggled on the notch of a massive monolithic stone at the top of the hill, is intriguing. 

The 1945 Mysore Archaeological Survey (MAS) report mentions ‘new inscriptions’ discovered. Two of them are near the Bhimeswara temple and one is at Galimantapa (an open stone structure). These are not mentioned in Epigraphia Carnatica Vol 9, (EC9), dated 1905, nor in its supplement. Though I had trekked SRS hill earlier, I set out to find these inscriptions. 

The two new inscriptions in the MAS report.

To ascend the hill, I took the old path dotted with beautiful carvings of deities on some of the side boulders. As I climbed midway, I reached the Bhimeswara temple, beside a massive rock.  

Straining my neck while scanning the vertical surface of the rock, I could finally spot the two inscriptions through a gap in the roof sheets above the temple. After getting permission, I climbed up the small temple’s roof to have a closer look at the two inscriptions. 

The first one in the mortar on the boulder records the renovation of the Bhimeswara temple conducted by Rudreya-Viranna, along with Nanjappa of Closepet. MAS mentions that ‘the inscription is dated both in the Saka era and Christian era, and corresponds to the 5th of November 1870 AD’. Sadly, most of the words in the first line and a few in the second line are damaged. However, the rest of the inscription is clearly visible. 

The second inscription, dated 1903, is well-preserved. It records further renovation work done by Mallikarjuna Devaru and his brother Rudraya. It also records that ‘they caused the steps to be made for the temple’. A beautiful ‘naga mandala’ is etched next to this inscription. As I scouted the huge boulder, to my great surprise, I discovered a third inscription not mentioned in MAS, at a distance, to the west of the second inscription. It had both Tamil and Kannada letters!

The Galimantapa at SRS betta.

The Galimantapa, built atop a small hill, is close to the Bhimeswara temple. I searched the visible rocky surfaces around the Galimantapa to find the three-part inscription mentioned in the MAS report. It had referred to many erased lines in this inscription belonging to the 16th or 17th century, which refer to the mystic deeds of ‘Marulu Siddheshvara, spiritual son of Shri Revana Siddheshvara’. But I was unable to find it.

Inscription

EC9 gives the details of a 1532 AD inscription, ‘at Hullukere-Gunnuru (Closepet hobli) on a stone in the Teru-bidi, on the Revana-Siddheshvara hill’. It relates to ‘Achyuta-Raya-maharaya ruling the kingdom of the world’. 

A second visit 

During my next trip, I alighted from the direct Ramanagara-SRS betta bus and asked for ‘teru-bidi’ (the chariot street). I came to know that the road near the bus stop is known by that name. Here, one can find a decorated stone-wheeled wooden chariot, with Shiva and Parvathi idols enthroned during Rathotsava.

A small tower at the pinnacle of SRS hill in Ramanagara district.

As I searched for the inscription stone, Ramappa, a bystander, pointed to a protruding stone slab at one edge of the peripheral road. When I went closer, I could see the faintly-visible Kannada alphabets etched on it. When we both started removing the mud around it, some villagers requested us not to touch this ‘devara kallu’ (God’s stone). I explained the importance of this stone to them, but stopped further digging, honouring their emotions. 

As I set out on my return journey, I turned back to see the inscription stone, standing precariously on the inner edge of the road where it could be accidentally hit by some vehicle or be damaged. I hope it is lifted and transported to a safe place and preserved for posterity.