Vijayanagara-era inscription refers to sighting of Halley's comet
'According to the inscription, the comet, referred to as Dhumaketu, was believed to herald great misfortune. To mitigate the ill effects of this celestial phenomenon, a traditional 'Santi Puja' (pacification ritual) was conducted. As part of the observance, King Mallikarjuna donated the village of Simgapura, located in the Kelajha sima region of Hastinavati Vemthe, to a Vedic scholar and astronomer named Limganarya from Kadiyalapura, likely present-day Kadiyapulanka in Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh,' Muniratnam said.
He elaborated that the appearance of a comet, the meteoric shower it causes and the traditional beliefs associated with it is well described in this inscription by the term 'Prakasyaya mahotpata santyartham dattavan vibhu?', which translates to 'In order to pacify the calamities that may arise due to the illuminating comets and meteoric shower on the king and his kingdom, this grant was made.'
He further added that though references to comets are found in ancient texts globally, this is the first epigraphical record that has been discovered and confirms that the 1456 appearance of Halley's comet was widely feared and considered a bad omen, with similar interpretations in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
It is worth mentioning that Halley's Comet was last seen from Earth in 1986 and will return in 2061 on its regular 76-year journey around the Sun.
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Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
1st Indian reference to Halley's Comet in Sanskrit inscription
HYDERABAD: In what is being described as a rare epigraphical discovery, the Archaeological Survey of India's (ASI) epigraphy division has found the first known Indian inscription referring to the appearance of Halley's Comet. It was found in a Sanskrit copper plate charter dated 1456 CE from Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh, during the reign of Vijayanagara King Mallikarjuna. The inscription, engraved in Nagari script, clearly mentions a celestial phenomenon involving a comet and a subsequent meteor shower, ASI epigraphy director K Muniratnam Reddy said. It records a land grant in the form of a village made by the Vijayanagara ruler Mallikarjuna to a Vedic scholar on Saka 1378, Dhatru Ashadha ba 11, corresponding to Monday, June 28, 1456 CE. The vedic scholar, a brahman named Limganarya, was from Kadiyalapura - likely present-day Kadiyapulanka in Kadapa district - and known for his expertise in astronomy. The donation was made "in order to pacify the great calamity that is believed to arise due to the appearance of a comet (Dhumaketu mahotpata santyartham)" and its meteor shower (Prakasyaya mahotpata santyartham)," said Reddy. "From several historical records across the world, it is known that the appearance of Halley's Comet in 1456 CE was interpreted as a bad omen," said Reddy.
New Indian Express
3 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Vijayanagara-era inscription refers to sighting of Halley's comet
'According to the inscription, the comet, referred to as Dhumaketu, was believed to herald great misfortune. To mitigate the ill effects of this celestial phenomenon, a traditional 'Santi Puja' (pacification ritual) was conducted. As part of the observance, King Mallikarjuna donated the village of Simgapura, located in the Kelajha sima region of Hastinavati Vemthe, to a Vedic scholar and astronomer named Limganarya from Kadiyalapura, likely present-day Kadiyapulanka in Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh,' Muniratnam said. He elaborated that the appearance of a comet, the meteoric shower it causes and the traditional beliefs associated with it is well described in this inscription by the term 'Prakasyaya mahotpata santyartham dattavan vibhu?', which translates to 'In order to pacify the calamities that may arise due to the illuminating comets and meteoric shower on the king and his kingdom, this grant was made.' He further added that though references to comets are found in ancient texts globally, this is the first epigraphical record that has been discovered and confirms that the 1456 appearance of Halley's comet was widely feared and considered a bad omen, with similar interpretations in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. It is worth mentioning that Halley's Comet was last seen from Earth in 1986 and will return in 2061 on its regular 76-year journey around the Sun.
The Hindu
a day ago
- The Hindu
First Indian epigraphical reference to Halley's comet found in 15th century copper plate inscription
The first Indian epigraphical reference to Halley's comet has been discovered in a copper plate inscription dated 1456 CE belonging to the Vijayanagara period and preserved at the Srisailam Mallikarjunaswamy temple in Andhra Pradesh. Dr. K. Munirathnam Reddy, Director, Epigraphy Branch of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), who announced the discovery, told The Hindu that the inscription is written in Sanskrit, using Nagari script, and refers to the appearance of a comet and a subsequent meteor shower — events that historically coincide with the 1456 appearance of Halley's comet. The inscription records a grant made by the Vijayanagara ruler Mallikarjuna to a Vedic scholar on Śaka 1378, Dhātru Āshāḍha ba. 11, corresponding to Monday, June 28, 1456 CE. The grant was issued 'in order to mitigate the great calamity believed to arise due to the appearance of a comet (dhūmakētu mahōtpāta śāntyartham), and the associated meteor shower (Prakāśyāya mahōtpāta śāntyartham)', said Mr. Munirathnam. The king donated a village named Simgapura, located in Kelajhasima of Hastinavati Vemṭhe, as an agrahāra to a Brahmana named Limgaṇarya, a Vedic scholar from Kaḍiyalapura. Dr. Reddy said this place is probably present-day Kaḍiyapulanka in Galividu mandalam, Cuddapah district of Andhra Pradesh, and noted that the scholar was probably well-versed in astronomy. Dr. Munirathnam noted that while references to dhumaketus (comets) are found in ancient and medieval Indian texts, this is the first inscriptional record that has been discovered. 'What makes this particularly significant,' he said, 'is that the year mentioned in the inscription and the reference to the comet's appearance matches the year in which Halley's comet was later established to have appeared,' said He explained that in traditional belief systems and from the available historical records, the appearance of a comet and meteor shower was considered inauspicious, and associated with misfortune and calamities in many parts of the world. Mr. Reddy said the appearance of the comet and the beliefs surrounding it are vividly expressed in the inscription in the phrase: Prakāśyāya mahōtpāta śāntyartham dattavān vibhuḥ — meaning: this grant was made in order to pacify the calamities that may arise due to the illuminating comets and meteor shower upon the king and his kingdom. The discovery of reference to comets in the inscription was made during the critical 'line by line' editing of a set of 21 unpublished copper plate charters held by the Srisailam temple authorities. The collection, comprising 78 copper leaves, will soon be published in book form, he added.
