Rare 16th Century Drought Inscription – Haveri, Karnataka
Place of Discovery:
- Near Chandrashekara Temple, Guttala, Haveri district, Karnataka.
Nature of the Inscription:
- Sculptural inscription on a stone slab,Written in Kannada language and script.
Date (Epigraphically recorded):
- Saka 1461, Vikari, Bhadrapada Shukla 5,Corresponds to August 18, 1539 CE
Tragedy Documented:
- Records death of 6,307 people due to “bara” (drought).
Burial & Humanitarian Effort:
- Bodies buried by Marulaih Odeya, son of Nanideva Odeya of Guttavalala.
Sculptural Representation:
- Depicts a man (Marulaih Odeya) carrying a basket with 2–3 bodies on his head.
Relevance in Indian History:
- Rare record of natural calamity’s human toll.
- Highlights community response and religious motivation in times of crisis.
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) & Epigraphic Mission
Key Official:
- Munirathnam Reddy, Director (Epigraphy), ASI
ASI’s Epigraphic Work (2024–25):
- Over 1,000 inscriptions copied from across India.
- Includes discoveries in deep jungles.
100+ inscriptions discovered in 2025 alone.
International Booker Prize 2025
Winning Book: Heart Lamp
- Language: Originally in Kannada
- Period of Writing: Spanning three decades (1990–2023)
- Themes:
- Resilience, resistance, wit, and sisterhood of everyday women
Author: Banu Mushtaq
- Profession: Writer, activist, lawyer
- Notable Quote:
“No story is ever small… every thread holds the weight of the whole.”
Translation & Translator: Deepa Bhasthi
- Language of Translation: English
Prize Details
- Award: International Booker Prize 2025
- Prize Money:
- GBP 50,000 (shared between author and translator)
- GBP 5,000 for each shortlisted title (shared)
- Event Venue: Tate Modern, London
- Notable Firsts:
- First Kannada work to win the International Booker
- First short story collection ever to win the award
- Only the second Indian title to win (after Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree, 2022)
2025 Shortlist
- Included books translated from:
- Danish
- French
- Japanese
- Italian
