🏞️Most Ancient Religious Inscriptions

🏛️Ghosundi- Hathibada Inscription (2nd century BCE)

• 📍 Location: Nagari Village, Chittorgarh.
• 🏛️ Collection: Udaipur Museum.
• 📜 Key Information:
  
  
  
  • 🖋️ Language: Sanskrit.
  • ✍️ Script: Brāhmī.
  • 🕉️ This inscription provides the earliest evidence of the Vaiṣṇava (Bhāgavata) sect in Rajasthan. Belief in Vāsudeva.
  • 🔱 Mentions the Aśvamedha sacrifice performed by Sarvata of the Gaja dynasty.
  • 📖 This inscription was first read by Dr. D.R. Bhandarkar.
  • The most ancient inscription in Sanskrit
  
  
  
  

🌟Bāḍalī Inscription (443 BCE)

• 🏞️ Location: Bāḍalī, Bhīnāy Tehsil (former Ajmer) Kekaḍī District, obtained from the Bhīloṭ Mātā Temple.
• 📜 Key Information:
  
  
  
  • 🕉️ Vīra Nirvāṇa Saṃvat (after the death of Mahāvīra) 84 year inscription.
  • 📖 This is the oldest inscription in Rajasthan and the second oldest after the Piprahwa inscription (487 BCE) in India.
  • 🌱 Mentions the spread of Jain religion.
  • ✍️ This inscription is engraved in Brāhmī script.
  
  
  
  
• 🏛️ Collection: Preserved in the Ajmer Museum.

🏺Nāndsa Yūpa-Stambha Inscription (225 CE)

• 🌍 Location: Nāndsa Village, Sahāḍā Tehsil, Bhīlwāḍā.
• 💧 This inscription can only be read when the pond water dries up.
• 🕉️ Key Information:
  
  
  
  • ⚔️ Guṇaguru performed the Ṣaṣṭhirātra sacrifice for the territorial expansion of the Kṣatriya kingdom.
  • 📖 This inscription provides information about the prevalent Purāṇic sacrifices in northern India.
  
  
  
  
• 🏛️ Establishment: It is believed to have been established by Soma.

🏯Bīchpuriyā Yūpa-Stambha Inscription (274 CE)

• 🏞️ Location: Uṇiyārā Ṭhikānā, Ṭoṃk District.
• 🛕 Temple: Found in the courtyard of the Bīchpuriyā Temple.

🛡️Vijayagaḍh Yūpa-Stambha Inscription (371-72 CE)

• 🌄 Location: Vijayagaḍh Fort, Bayānā (Bharatpur).
• 🗡️ Key Information:
  
  
  
  • 🔱 Yaśovardhana, the son of King Viṣṇuvardhana, performed the Puṇḍarīka sacrifice.
  • 📜 The inscription provides information about the Vārīka dynasty.
  
  
  
  

✨Barnālā Yūpa-Stambha Inscription (227 CE)

• 📍 Location: Barnālā, Gaṃgāpur City.
• 🏛️ Collection: Preserved in the Āmer Museum.
• 🔔 Key Information:
  
  
  
  • 🌸 Evidence of the presence of the Vaiṣṇava sect in ancient Rajasthan.
  • 🙏 Mentions the veneration of Lord Viṣṇu at the end of the inscription.
  
  
  
  

🪔Baḍavā Yūpa-Stambha Inscription (238-239 CE)

• 🗺️ Location: Baḍavā Village, Aṃtā Tehsil, Bārāṃ.
• 📜 Key Information:
  
  
  
  • 🔥 Mentions the Trirātra sacrifice and the Aptoyāma sacrifice.
  • 🕊️ Reflects the glory of Vaiṣṇava religion and sacrifices.
  • 🪵 5 Yūpa-Stambhas were found here, 3 of which have inscriptions.
  • 📜 These inscriptions provide information about the rulers of the Maukharī dynasty.
  • 🗓️ Mentions the Kṛta Saṃvat.
  
  
  
  

Other inscriptions:

🌊Gangdhara Inscription (423 CE)

• 📍 Location: Gangdhara, Jhalawar.
• 🔧 Key Information:
  
  
  
  • 🏛️ Mention of the construction of a Vishnu Temple by the minister Mayurāksha of Vishwakarma.
  • 🌀 Mention of the construction of a Matrigriha in the Tantric style.
  • 🏰 Sheds light on the feudal system of the 5th century.
  
  
  
  

🐝Bhavara/Bhramara Mata Inscription (490 CE)

• 📍 Location: Choti Sadri, Pratapgarh.
• 🏛️ Builder: Ruler of the Gaur Dynasty.
• 📜 Key Information:
  
  
  
  • 🪔 Information about the Aulikara Dynasty.
  • ✍️ Engraver: Purva.
  • 🖋️ Author: Brahmasoma.
  • 📜 Mention of donating to Brahmins after death and the Shakta religion.
  
  
  
  

🔱Aparajita Inscription (661 CE)

• 📍 Location: Kundeshwar Temple, Nagda Village, Udaipur.
• 📜 Key Information:
  
  
  
  • ✍️ Author: Damodara.
  • 🖋️ Language: Sanskrit.
  • 📜 Script: Kutila.
  • 📖 The inscription provides information about the Guhila rulers.
  • 🏛️ It was read by Dr. Ojha and preserved at the Udaipur Victoria Hall Museum.
  
  
  
  

🌸Buchkala Inscription (815 CE)

• 🏛️ Location: Buchkala (Bilara – Rural Jodhpur)
• 🛕 Temple: Located in the assembly hall of the Parvati Temple
• ✍️ Construction Period: Reign of Nagabhatta II, son of King Vatsaraja Pratihara
• 🔎 Architect: Dei a son of Panchhariya
• 🪔 Discovered by: Brahmbhatt Nanuram

🌊Shankarghatta Inscription (713 CE)

• 📍 Location: Banks of the Gambhiri River, Chittorgarh.
• 📜 Key Information:
  
  
  
  • 🏛️ King Manabhanga (Manmori) had a Gaganchumbhi Palace, Vapi, and a Sun Temple constructed.
  • ✍️ Initial mention of worship of Shiva.
  
  
  
  

🪷Pratapgarh Inscription (946 CE)

• 🏛️ Location: Pratapgarh City, near the Chenaram Agarwal Baori
• ✨ Collection: Ajmer Museum
• ✍️ Language: Sanskrit and some vernacular words
• 🪔 Discovered by: Dr. Ojha
• 🌾 Meaning of vernacular words:
  
  
  
  • 🏺Koshwah: Land irrigated with leather buckets
  • 💐 Chausar: Garland of flowers
  • 🛍️ Palika: Pula
  • 🛢️ Pali: Measure of oil
  • 🌾 Dhana: Dhani
  • 🪔 Arhata
  
  
  
  

🕉️Kansawa Inscription (738 CE)

• 📍 Location: Kansawa Village, Kota.
• 📜 Key Information:
  
  
  
  • 🏛️ Installed in a Shivalaya.
  • ✍️ Name of Maurya Dynasty King Dhavala.
  • 📖 The last evidence of the Maurya Dynasty in Rajasthan.
  
  
  
  

🐗Saranesvara (Sandanath) Prashasti (973 CE)

• 🏛️ Location: Previously located in the Varaha Temple of Ahad Village
• 🪷 Current Location: Saranesvara Temple, Udaipur
• 🏛️ After the Varaha Temple collapsed, it was installed in the Saranesvara Temple

🌄Nath Prashasti (971 CE)

• 🛕 Location: Lakulish Temple, Udaipur
• 🕊️ It describes the history of Mewar

🏺Osian Inscription (956 CE)

• 🛕 Location: Osian
• ✒️ Written in 22 Sanskrit verses
• 📜 Referred to Mansingh as the lord of the land and Vatsaraja as the subduer of enemies
• 🔎 Author: Padaja
• 🏛️ Society was divided into four varnas (Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra)

🕉️Kiradu Inscription (1161 CE)

• 🛕 Location: Shiva Temple, Kiradu Village (Barmer District)
• ✍️ Language: Sanskrit
• 📜 Key Information:
• 🪔 The origin of the Paramaras is said to be from the yagna of Sage Vasishtha at Mount Abu

🏰Jalore Inscription (1118 CE)

• 🏛️ Location: Jalore Fort (Toshkhana Building)
• ✨ Collection: Jodhpur Museum
• 📜 Key Information:
  
  
  
  • 🔎 The origin of the Paramaras is said to be from the yagna of Sage Vasishtha
  • 🛕 Vakpatiraj was the founder of the Jalore branch of the Paramaras
  
  
  
  

🌳Nadol Inscription (1141 CE)

• 🛕 Location: Someshwar Temple, Nadol (Desuri Tehsil, Pali)
• 📜 Key Information:
  
  
  
  • 🌾 Mentions the democratic rural system of the 12th century
  • 🐎 Bhats carried goods on horses and engaged in horse trade
  • 🐂 Banjaras transported goods on bullocks and engaged in barter trade
  
  
  
  

🌉Inscription on the Bridge of Gambhiri River (1267 CE)

• 🛕 Location: On the ninth arch of the bridge over the Gambhiri River in Chittorgarh District
• 🏗️ Builder: Khizr Khan

Inscriptions related to Mewar

🌟Inscription of Manmori (713 CE)

• 📍 Location: Putholi village, Chittorgarh.
• 📜 Key Information:
  
  
  
  • 🏞️ Site: Located on the banks of Lake Mansarovar.
  • ✍️ Author: Nagabhatta, son of Pushya.
  • 📖 Engraved by: Karuna, son of Shivadity.
  • 📝 Colonel James Tod read this inscription.
  • 🌊 This inscription was thrown into the sea due to its heavy weight.
  • 📖 Tod published it in his work ‘Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan’.
  • ✨ The text mentions Amrita Manthana.
  • 🕉️ Evidence of the Mauryas’ connection to Rajasthan
  
  
  
  

🏛️Inscription of Chirwa (1273 CE)

• 🛕 Location: Temple in Chirwa village, Badgaon tehsil, Udaipur district
• 📜 Language: Sanskrit
• ✒️ Script: Devanagari
• 📜 Key Information:
  
  
  
  • 🏰 Mention of the Guhilot rulers of Mewar (Jaitrasimha, Tejasimha, Samarsimha)
  • ✍️ Composed by: Ratnaprabhu Suri, disciple of Bhuvanasimha Suri
  • ✒️ Engraved by: Their disciple Parshvachandra
  • Dilhan had it installed on the wall
  • 🌟 Mention of Chetagachcha Acharyas
  • 📜 Sati practice, grazing land and Pashupath Shaivism
  • 📜 Administrative post of Talaraksha
  
  
  
  

Inscription of Chittorgarh (971 CE)

• 🛕 Location: Chittorgarh
• 🖋️ Copy preserved in the Indian Temple in Ahmedabad
• ✍️ Construction of the Mahavira Jinalaya by the ruler of Chittorgarh, Narvarma
• 🔒 Women’s entry was prohibited in the temple, reflecting the social system of that time

🛕Ranakpur Prashasti (1439 CE)

• 📍 Location: Chaumukha Jain Temple in Ranakpur, Desuri tehsil, Pali district
• 📜 Language: Sanskrit
• ✒️ Script: Devanagari
• 🛠️ Sculptor: Depak
• 📖 Key Information:
  
  
  
  • 🏰 Mention of the achievements of the rulers of Mewar from Bappa to Kumbha
  • 🏛️ Introduction of the Dharanaka Shah Shreshti lineage
  • 🏰 Bappa and Kalbhoj are described as distinct personalities
  • 💰 Evidence of the currency called “Nanaka”
  
  
  
  

🌄Nath Prashasti (971 CE)

• 🛕 Location: Lakulish Temple, Udaipur
• 🖋️ Language: Sanskrit
• 📖 Script: Devanagari
• 🕊️ It describes the history of Mewar

🌳Inscription of Rasiya’s Chhatri (1274 CE)

• 🛕 Location: Behind the Rajmahal in Chittorgarh district
• 📜 Key Information:
  
  
  
  • 🏰 Mention of the Guhilot rulers (from Bappa to Narvarma) of Mewar
  • ✍️ Author: Ved Sharma, son of Priyapatu
  • 🌟 Description of 13th century life and natural conditions
  • 🛕 Mentioned locations: Nagda and Delwara
  
  
  
  

📜Kheroda Copper Plate (1483 CE)

• 📖 Key Information:
• 💰 Information about the currency in use during the time of Maharana Kumbha