Finding by professor throws light on their presence in State.

A nearly 1,000-year-old rare stone inscription on Kapalikas (worshippers of Bhairava, a manifestation of Shiva) was found in Raichur district by a professor of Kannada University, Hampi.

“This is the first time that we have got an inscription that throws light on the presence of Kapalikas in South India in general and Karnataka in particular,” Kalaveer Manvachar, head of the department of epigraphy, told The Hindu .

No documentary evidence

According to him, though there were references to Kapalikas in a very few inscriptions found in northern India as well as Karnataka, there were no documentary evidences about their presence. He says Kapalika was a mysterious cult known for human sacrifice and immolation among other things.

The inscription, found above a cave atop a hilly area, two km away from Maliyabad village in Raichur district, is undated. However, based on the nature of the script, which is in ancient Kannada, it is presumed to be from mid 1,000 AD. The inscription also refers to a ‘Kankala Gorava’ who had mastered Somasiddantha or Kapalika Siddantha . It states that though Soma Siddanthis led a lavish life, they had a cordial relationship with the society.

“The finding assumes significance especially in the wake of the lack of information about Kapalikas in any literature in Indian language, except Sanskrit,” Prof. Manvachar says.

“With the help of the inscription, we will take up a detailed study to throw light on the presence of Kapalika cult in various places, their culture, traditions, practises, issues related to their status in the society, how they began to wane after the emergence of Veerashaivism and the like,” he said.

‘Kapalika was a mysterious cult known for human sacrifice and immolation’