A fragmentary Telugu inscription dating to the 14th century A.D. has been found at the Kondaveedu Fort in Andhra Pradesh, offering fresh evidence of the Reddy rulers’ patronage of temple worship and religious institutions in the region.

The inscription is engraved on a partially broken pillar of a dilapidated Siva temple atop Rudrapada Peak, the highest of the 42 hills that form the Kondaveedu hill fort complex. Kondaveedu Fort Development Committee Convener Kalli Siva Reddy and his team found it during an exploration on Saturday.

K. Muniratnam Reddy, Director (Epigraphy), Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Mysuru, said the inscription is in Telugu, in a script characteristic of the 14th century. Though damaged and incomplete, the surviving text appears to record the grant of four vrittis (shares of endowed revenue or land assignments) to certain Bhattulu and two vrittis to Virupaksha Dikshita for conducting worship in a Lord Siva temple at Kondaveedu.

The inscription also contains the invocation “Sri Kailasa Sivaya Namah” and mentions that it was engraved by “Parvatam Oubhalam Pancharamulu.” Based on palaeographic features and the content, experts believe the record belongs to the period of the Reddi dynasty, which ruled large parts of coastal Andhra during the 14th century.

Mr. Siva Reddy said the inscription was on the pillar of a Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) in front of the sanctum of a ruined Siva temple. Of the two Siva temples on Rudrapada Peak, one has been almost completely destroyed, leaving only the sanctum standing. He alleged that illegal digging and vandalism over the years had contributed to the deterioration of the monuments.

Rudrapada Peak, later known as Adam Shafi Bodu under Muslim rule, continues to attract both Hindu and Muslim devotees. Besides the sacred Rudrapada footprint shrine, the hill houses a small dargah visited regularly by devotees.

Based on historical references and the nature of temple endowments mentioned in the inscription, researchers suspect the grant may have been issued during the reign of either Anavema Reddy or Pedakomati Vema Reddy, two prominent rulers of the Kondaveedu Reddi kingdom. Historical records describe Anavema Reddy as a devout Saivite who promoted regular temple worship and restored the Pancharama temples. Kondaveedu Kaifiyat records also mention donations by Pedakomati Vema Reddy to the nearby Bollumora Venkateswara Swamy temple.

ASI experts said the exact ruler and the date of the grant can be established only after the missing portion of the inscription is examined. The script style still points to the Reddy period.

Mr. Siva Reddy said many unidentified inscriptions remain scattered across Kondaveedu Fort, and called on the ASI to depute a team to document, copy and study them systematically.

He recalled that in 2024 he had brought to light five previously undocumented inscriptions at Kondaveedu Fort, including one from the reign of Pedakomati Vema Reddy.