Ancient Jain inscription found in Kalasa
Mangaluru, Sep 12: Historians have unearthed an unpublished Jain inscription belonging to the medieval period from a Jain Basadi in Kalasa of Chikkamagaluru district.
Prof T Murugeshi, associate professor of ancient history and archaeology at Mulki Sundar Ram Shetty (MSRS) College, Shirva, Udupi, said in a release that the unpublished Jain inscription recovered was in Kannada script and language.
Researchers found the script beside the Chandranatha Tirthankara idol that is about six inches.
It is a ten-line inscription, Murugeshi said.
The inscription reads 'Angirasa Samvatsara Ashada Suddha Dasami Murara vivaradalu,' indicating that it was written on July 2, 1512 AD.
On the specified date, Devachandra Deva, a Jain teacher of Panasoge bali, a small village in KR Nagara in Mysuru installed the idol.
Panasoge was a famous Jain centre in 11th and 12th centuries.
Devachandra hailed from the district and was the disciple of Lalita Keerti, a Jain teacher of the region.
It is learnt that in the 11th century, there were around 60 Jain temples in Panasoge and Lalita Keerti was a prominent teacher.
At present, only one Jain temple exists in the area, Murugeshi said.
The inscription may be small in nature, but has significance, he said.
It indirectly indicates the Shaiva and Jain conflicts in Mysuru region.
Due to the religious conflict, Jains migrated to the Malnad region and moved towards the coast, Murugeshi said.
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Kerala: Court imposes 41-year jail term on man for sexual assault of minor
Kozhikode (Kerala) (PTI): A Kerala court on Wednesday sentenced a man to 41 years in prison for sexually assaulting a minor boy near Valayam in 2021.
Nadapuram Fast Track Special Court judge K Naushad Ali sentenced 64-year-old Panchara Musa, also known as Ganapathiyat Musa, under various provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC), according to special public prosecutor Manoj Aroor.
As the sentences are to run concurrently, the convict will have to serve the highest term of 20 years’ imprisonment, SPP Aroor said. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 52,000 on Musa.
The incident took place in August 2021 when the accused allegedly took the 14-year-old boy to a bus stop in Valayam town and sexually assaulted him, the prosecutor said. The accused also gave Rs 50 to the boy, he added.
Following the incident, the boy and his father lodged a complaint at the Valayam police station.
A case under various provisions of the POCSO Act and the IPC was registered, and the accused was subsequently arrested, the SPP said.
The prosecution examined 16 witnesses and submitted 16 documents to substantiate its case against the accused, he added.
