An Achyutadevaraya-Era Inscription Identified at Tirumala Sri Venkateswara Temple

Another historical inscription has been identified at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirumala. Experts from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) discovered it while taking estampages of inscriptions under the Bharat-Sri project. The inscription is located on the southern wall of the temple’s third prakaram. Written in Tamil, it is dated December 31, 1540, during the reign of Achyutadevaraya. The inscription records details of donations and arrangements made for conducting special rituals and offering food and prasadam to Lord Venkateswara on important occasions.

According to the inscription, Dalavayi Timmara Sayyar, the military commander of Chandragiri Fort, made arrangements to support special offerings and other services at the temple. It mentions an allocation of 150 gold coins from the village of Samapuram-Thinnai in the Gokulgunta-Seema region. In addition, 15,000 panams were deposited into the temple treasury to support the Lord’s offerings and other services. The discovery offers further insight into the history of the Tirumala temple and the system of donations and religious services during the Vijayanagara period.