The area encompassing Kodigehalli and its sub-localities—Tindlu and Doddabommasandra—in Bengaluru contains several epigraphical and sculptural artifacts dating primarily from the 14th to 16th centuries CE. These include three Kannada inscriptions and two hero stones (Viragal, commemorative stones for fallen warriors). The name "Kodigehalli" likely originates from the Kannada words kodige (grant) and halli (village), possibly referencing a land grant detailed in one of the inscriptions found here. Over time, Kodigehalli became the predominant name for the area, largely replacing the older name, Virupakshapura, although a locality named Virupakshapura still exists within modern Kodigehalli.

Among the findings is a Kannada inscription attributed to Prataparaya, dating to 1431 CE, which records a donation made during a solar eclipse to the Someyadeva temple in Sakanasamudra. This inscription contributes to Indian astronomical history by providing a specific date, 9 August 1431 CE (Julian calendar), linked to a solar eclipse, an event corroborated by NASA's Five Millennium Catalogue Of Solar Eclipses. The inscription's text has been published in Volume 9 of Epigraphia Carnatica, a key source for inscriptions in the region, and has been digitally archived by the Mythic Society. Two other inscriptions, from Tindlu and Doddabommasandra, date to the 14th and 15th centuries CE, respectively. The Tindlu inscription documents a donation by medieval merchant guilds, offering insights into historical trade practices. The Doddabommasandra inscription records a donation to an Agrahara (a settlement granted to Brahmins for learning and religious duties). In addition to the inscriptions, Kodigehalli houses two hero stones, which feature sculptures commemorating individuals who died in battle but lack accompanying inscriptions. Kodigehalli inscription (1431 CE): Prataparaya's Donation to God Someyadeva

This 15th-century Kannada inscription is the earliest known from the Bengaluru region to reference a specific astronomical event. It records a donation made by Prataparaya, son of Mangappa Dandanayaka, by order of Devaraya, the king of the Karnataka Empire (Vijayanagara Empire), during a solar eclipse. The donation was designated for the Someyadeva temple located in Sakanasamudra.

The grant included the village of Virupakshapura in Devasamudra and an income of 20 gadyana (a gold currency unit of the Vijayanagara Empire). Additionally, five khandugas (a unit of land measurement) of wetlands situated south of the Devasamudra lake were granted to the temple. This land was intended to support daily rituals and entertainment (anga-ranga vaibhoga) for the deity, including food offerings (naivedya), dance, and other performances. A team of seven individuals was specified for these performances: two actors, one dancer, one drummer, one sitar player, one upanga player (a type of musical instrument), and one kamsale dancer (a specific folk dance form). The donation was made explicitly for the well-being of King Devaraya.

The inscription employs symbols for fractions and records donation quantities in both numerals and words. The name Kodigehalli is understood to derive from this land grant (kodige). The text mentions several locations that can be tentatively mapped to modern places: Vijayanagara (Hampi), Shivanasamudra (near Hessarghatta), Yelahanka, Devasamudra (area around MS Ramaiah hospital & RMV 2nd Phase), Virupakshapura (Kodigehalli), Vijaya Devarayapura (a new name given to Virupakshapura within the inscription), and Devasamudra Hiriyakere ('Big Lake' of Devasamudra, now part of RMV Phase II). A children's story inspired by this historical record has been published in the Kannada magazine Mayura.

The inscription uses terms like Shivanasamudra and Devasamudra. The suffix "-samudra" (meaning 'ocean' in Sanskrit) was often used hyperbolically during the Vijayanagara period (roughly 14th to 17th centuries) to refer to large lakes or reservoirs, often associated with newly established settlements or agrahara grants. The term "Sandra," common in village and lake names from this era, likely derives from this usage. Discovery and Dating The inscription was documented by B.L. Rice in Epigraphia Carnatica. For conservation purposes, it was relocated to the Halekote Anjaneya temple premises in 2018. The Mythic Society has created a 3D scan of the inscription for digital preservation. The inscription is dated Shaka 1353, corresponding to 9 August 1431 CE (Julian calendar).

Physical Characteristics The stone slab measures 140 cm in height and 85 cm in width. The Kannada script characters are approximately 2 cm tall, 3 cm wide, and inscribed to a depth of 0.13 cm. It features carved symbols of the Sun and Moon at the top, traditionally signifying the perpetual nature of the grant.

Transliterations of the inscription Transliterations in Kannada and IAST (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration) are available in Volume 9 of Epigraphia Carnatica. A rereading and updated transliteration have also been provided by the Mythic Society. KannadaIASTLine NumberಮುಂಭಾಗFront Side1ಶ್ರೀಗಣಾಧಿಪತಿಯೇ ನಮಃ ನಮಸ್ತುಂಗ ಸಿರಶ್ಚುಂಬ್ಯಿತ ಚಂದ್ರśrīgaṇādhipatiye namaḥ namastuṃga siraścuṃbyita caṃdra2ಚಾಮರ ಚಾರವೇ ಕು ತ್ರಯಿಲೋಕ್ಯ ನಗರಾರಂಬ ಮೂಲcāmara cārave ku trayilokya nagarāraṃba mūla3ಸ್ತಂಬಾ ಸ್ವಸ್ತಿಶ್ರೀ ಜೆಯಾಬುದಯಾ ಶಕವರುಷ ೧೩೫೩ನೆಯstaṃbā svastiśrī jĕyābudayā śakavaruṣa 1353nĕya4ಸಂದು ವರ್ತ್ತಮಾನ ವಿರೋಧಿಕ್ರುತು ಸಂವತ್ಸರದ ಬಾದ್ರಪದsaṃdu varttamāna virodhikrutu saṃvatsarada bādrapada5ಸು ೧ ಗುಲು ಶ್ರೀಮಂಮ್ಮಹಾರಾಜಾಧಿರಾಜ ರಾಜಪರಮೇಸ್ವರ ಶ್ರೀವೀರsu 1 gulu śrīmaṃmmahārājādhirāja rājaparamesvara śrīvīra6ವಿಜಯಭೂಪತಿರಾಯ ಮಹಾರಾಯರ ಕುಮಾರರು ದೇವರಾಯ ಮvijayabhūpatirāya mahārāyara kumāraru devarāya ma7ಹಾರಾಯರು ವಿಜೆಯನಗರಿಯ ಸಿಂಹ್ವಾಸನದಲು ಸುಕಸಂಕಾhārāyaru vijĕyanagariya siṃhvāsanadalu sukasaṃkā8ತ ವಿನೋದದಿಂದ ಪ್ರಿತಿವಿರಾಜ್ಯಂಗೆಯಿಉತ್ತಯಿಹಲ್ಲಿ ಅ ದೇವರಾಯta vinodadiṃda pritivirājyaṃgĕyiuttayihalli a devarāya9ಮಹಾರಾಯರ ಸಂಮುಕದ ನಿರೂಪದಿಂದ ಸಕನಸಮುದ್ರmahārāyara saṃmukada nirūpadiṃda sakanasamudra10ದ ವೊಳಗಣ ಊರಮುಂದಣ ಸೋಮಯದೇವರ ನಯಿವೇದ್ಯ ಅಂda vŏl̤ag̤ aṇa ūramuṃdaṇa somayadevara nayivedya aṃ11ಗರಂಗಬೋಗಕ್ಕೆ ಶ್ರೀಮಂಮಹಾಪ್ರಧಾನ ಮಂಗಪದಂಣಾಯgaraṃgabogakkĕ śrīmaṃmahāpradhāna maṃgapadaṃṇāya12ಕ್ಕರ ಮಕ್ಕಳು ಪ್ರಥಾಪರಾಯರು ಕೊಟ್ಟ ಧರ್ಮಸಾಸನ ಅ ಸೋಮಯkkara makkal̤u pr ̤ athāparāyaru kŏṭṭa dharmasāsana a somaya13ದೇವರ ನಯಿವೇದ್ಯ ಅಂಗರಂಗಬೋಗಕ್ಕೆ ಮಾಡಿದ ಕಟ್ಟಳೆ ನಂdevara nayivedya aṃgaraṃgabogakkĕ māḍida kaṭṭal̤ĕ naṃ14ಮ ನಾಯಕ್ಕತನಕೆ ಕೊಟ್ಟಿಹ ಸಿವನಸಮುದ್ರದ ಕೆಳಗೆ ಸಲುma nāyakkatanakĕ kŏṭṭiha sivanasamudrada kĕl̤ag̤ ĕ salu15ವ ಯೆಲಹಕ್ಕನಾಡಲ್ಲಿ ತರಣಿಯಪ್ಪನ ಬಾಗಿಯ ವೊಳಗಣ ದೇವಸva yĕlahakkanāḍalli taraṇiyappana bāgiya vŏl̤ag̤ aṇa devasa16ಮುದ್ರದ ಗ್ರಾಮದ ಕಾಲುವಳಿ ವಿರುಪಾಕ್ಷಪುರದ ಗ್ರಾಮಕಂmudrada grāmada kāluval̤i virupāk ̤ ṣapurada grāmakaṃ17ಪ್ರಾಕು ಗುತ್ತಿಗೆಯ ಪ್ರಮಾಣ ಕಾಣಿಕೆ ಸಹಹುಟ್ಟವಳಿ ಗ೧೬|| .prāku guttigĕya pramāṇa kāṇikĕ sahahuṭṭaval̤i ̤ ga16||18ಗ್ರಾಮಕ್ಕೆ ಅಂದಿನ ಅದಾಯ ಅಪುರ್ವ್ವ ಅದಾಯಕಾಗಿ .grāmakkĕ aṃdina adāya apurvva adāyakāgi .19ಟ್ಟಕೊಟ್ಟದು ಗ೩|| ಉಭಯಂ ವರಹ ಗ೨೦ ವರಹ ಯಿಪ್ಪತ್ತುṭṭakŏṭṭadu ga3|| ubhayaṃ varaha ga20 varaha yippattu20ಹೊಂನಿನ ಗ್ರಾಮವಾಗಿ ಯಿರಲಾಗಿ ಅ ಗ್ರಾಮವನು ವಿಜೆಯದೇhŏṃnina grāmavāgi yiralāgi a grāmavanu vijĕyade21ವರಾಯಪುರವೆಂಬ ಗ್ರಾಮವನು ಮಾಡಿ ಅ ದೇವರಾಯಪುvarāyapuravĕṃba grāmavanu māḍi a devarāyapu22ರವೆಂಬ ಗ್ರಾಮವನು ದೇವಸಮುದ್ರದ ಹಿರಿಯಕೆಱೆಯ ಕೆravĕṃba grāmavanu devasamudrada hiriyakĕṟĕya kĕ23ಳಗೆ ಬೀಜವರಿಯ ಗದ್ದೆ ಖ೫ ಬೀಜವರಿಯ ಗದ್ದೆ ಅಯಿḷagĕ bījavariya gaddĕ kha5 bījavariya gaddĕ ayi24ಗಂಡುಗವನು ಸ್ರಾವಣ ಬ೩೦ ಸೂರಿಯ ಪರಾಕ ಪುಂಣ್ಯಕಾgaṃḍugavanu srāvaṇa ba30 sūriya parāka puṃṇyakā25ಲದಲು ಅ ದೇವರಾಯ ಮಹಾರಾಯರಿಗೆ ಅಯಿರಾರೋಗ್ಯ ಅladalu a devarāya mahārāyarigĕ ayirārogya a26ಯಿಸ್ವರಿಯ ವ್ರಿದ್ಧಿ ಅಹಂತಾಗಿ ಶ್ರೀಪರಮೇಸ್ವರ ಪ್ರೀತಿಯಾಗಿyisvariya vriddhi ahaṃtāgi śrīparamesvara prītiyāgiಹಿಂಬಾಗBackside27ಧಾರೆನೆಱದು ಕೊಟ್ಟೆವಾಗಿ ಅ ದೇವಸಮುದ್ರದdhārĕnĕṟadu kŏṭṭĕvāgi a devasamudrada28ಕಾಲುವಳಿ ವಿರುಪಾಕ್ಷಪುರವಾದ ವಿಜೆಯದೇವರಾkāluval̤i virupāk ̤ ṣapuravāda vijĕyadevarā29ಯಪುರವೆಂಬ ಗ್ರಾಮದರೇಕೆ ಗ೨೦ ವರಹಯಿಪ್ಪyapuravĕṃba grāmadarekĕ ga20 varahayippa30ತ್ತು ಹೊಂನಿನ ಗ್ರಾಮವನು ದೇವಸಮುದ್ರದ ಹಿರಿಯಕೆಱ್ಯttu hŏṃnina grāmavanu devasamudrada hiriyakĕṟya31ಯಲ್ಲಿ ಗದ್ದೆ ಅಯಿಗಂಡುಗ ಗದ್ದೆಯಲು ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂyalli gaddĕ ayigaṃḍuga gaddĕyalu māḍikŏṃ32ಡು ತೋಟ ತುಡಿಕೆ ಮುಂತಾಗಿ ಅಗಾಮಿಯಾಗಿ ಮಾḍu toṭa tuḍikĕ muṃtāgi agāmiyāgi mā33ಡಿಕೊಂಬಂತಾಉ ಅ ಗ್ರಾಮಕ್ಕೆ ಸಲುವ ನಿಧಿನಿಕ್ಷೇಪḍikŏṃbaṃtāu a grāmakkĕ saluva nidhinikṣepa34ಜಲಪಾಸಾಣ ಅಕ್ಷೀಣಿ ಅಗಾಮಿ ಸಿದ್ಧಸಾಧ್ಯ ಅಷ್ಟjalapāsāṇa akṣīṇi agāmi siddhasādhya aṣṭa35ಬೋಗ ತೇಜಸ್ವಾಮ್ಯ ಮುಂತಾಗಿ ಯೇನುಳ್ಳ ಸರ್ವಸ್ವಾಮ್ಯವನುboga tejasvāmya muṃtāgi yenul̤l̤̤a ̤ sarvasvāmyavanu36ಅಗುಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡು ಅಸೋಮಯಿದೇವರ ನಯಿವೇದ್ಯagumāḍikŏṃḍu asomayidevara nayivedya37ಅಂಗರಂಗಬೋಗಕ್ಕೆ ನಡಸುವ ಕಟ್ಟಳೆ ಯೆರಡು ಹೊaṃgaraṃgabogakkĕ naḍasuva kaṭṭal̤ĕ ̤ yĕraḍu hŏ38ತ್ತಿನ ನಯಿವೇದ್ಯ ಪಾತ್ರಬೋಗಕ್ಕೆ ಪಾತ್ರದ ಜನ೨ ನಟ್ಟttina nayivedya pātrabogakkĕ pātrada jana2 naṭṭa39ವನ ಜನ೧ ಮದ್ದಳೆಕಾಱನ ಜನ೧ ಸಿತಾರನ ಜನ೧vana jana1 maddal̤ĕk̤ āṟana jana1 sitārana jana140ಉಪಾಂಗದ ಜನ೧ ಕಂಸಾಳೆಯ ಜನ೧ ಅಂತ್ತು ಜನಏಳುupāṃgada jana1 kaṃsāl̤ĕ̤ya jana1 aṃttu janael̤u41ಜನ ಯೇಳಱಲು ಯೆರಡುಹೊತ್ತು ಅಂಗರಂಗಬೋಗjana yel̤aṟ̤alu yĕraḍuhŏttu aṃgaraṃgaboga42ವನು ನಡಸಿ ಅ ವಿರುಪಾಕ್ಷಪುರವೆಂಬ ದೇವರಾಯಪುರvanu naḍasi a virupākṣapuravĕṃba devarāyapura43ವಾದ ಗ್ರಾಮ ದೇವಸಮುದ್ರದ ಕೆಱೆಯ ಕೆಳಗಣ ಗದ್ದೆಯvāda grāma devasamudrada kĕṟĕya kĕl̤ag̤ aṇa gaddĕya44ಅಗುಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡು ಅ ಚಂದ್ರರ್ಕ್ಕಸ್ತಾಯಿಯಾಗಿ ಸುagumāḍikŏṃḍu a caṃdrarkkastāyiyāgi su45ಕದಿಂ ಬೋಗಿಸುವದು|| ದಾನಪಾಲನಯೋರ್ಮ್ಮದ್ಯದಾನಾತ್ರೇkadiṃ bogisuvadu|| dānapālanayormmadyadānātre46ಯೋನುಪಾಲನಂ| ದಾನಾಸ್ವಾರ್ಗಮವಾಪ್ನೋಪಿ ಪಾಲನಾದyonupālanaṃ| dānāsvārgamavāpnopi pālanāda47ಚುತ್ತಂ ಪದಂ|| ಸ್ವದತ್ತಾ ದ್ವಿಗುಣಂ ಪುಂಣ್ಯ ಪರದತ್ತಾನುcuttaṃ padaṃ|| svadattā dviguṇaṃ puṃṇya paradattānu48ಪಲಾನಂ ಪರದತ್ತಾಪಹಾರೇಣ ಸ್ವದತ್ತಂ ನಿಶ್ಪಲಂಬವೇತುpalānaṃ paradattāpahāreṇa svadattaṃ niśpalaṃbavetu49ಮಂಗಳ ಮಹಶ್ರೀ ಅ ಪ್ರಥಾಪರಾಯರ ಬರಹmaṃgal̤a mahaśrī ̤ a prathāparāyara baraha Translation of the inscription

The English translation, published in Epigraphia Carnatica Volume 9, details the grant made by Prataparaya for the offerings (naivedya) and decorations (anga-ranga-vaibhoga) of the god Someyadeva. It specifies the income sources, the rituals to be performed, and the seven performers employed for the temple services. It states the following,

"Obeisance to Ganadhipati. Obeisance to Shambhu.e it well. (On the date specified), when śrīmanmahārājādhirāja rājaparamesvara śrīvīra vijayabhūpatirāya mahārāyara's son devarāya mahārāyara, was ruling on the throne of Vijayanagara, was ruling the kingdom of the world in peace and wisdom, by the personal order of that Devaraya maharaya — for the offerings and decorations of (the god) Someyadeva in front of the town in Sakanasamudra, the great minister Mangappa-dannayaka's son Pratapa-Raya granted a dharma sasana as follows, for the offerings and decorations of the god Someyadeva we haeve granted the Virupakshapura village, whose rental is 20 honnu, a hamlet of Devasamudra in the Yelahanka-nad, belonging to and under Sivanasamudra granted for our office of Nayaka, — making it Vijayadevarayapura, and with that Devarayapura, land (specified) under the old tank of Devasamudra, — at the time of the eclipse of the sun, in order that long life, health and increase of wealth may be to Devaraya maharaya, and from love to Pararamesvara. Details of the rental, of the ceremonies to be performed and of the seven persons to be employed to minister to the god. Usual final verses. Written by Prataparaya."

Astronomical Importance of the Inscription This inscription is one of only two known historical records explicitly mentioning an eclipse in the Bengaluru region from that period, demonstrating the application of astronomical observations in 15th-century CE Vijayanagara society. Its reference to a solar eclipse occurring on 9 August 1431 CE (Julian) is corroborated by modern astronomical calculations, such as those found in NASA's eclipse catalog.

Herostones of Kodigehalli