Unpublished Musuem Bugle and Conch Inscriptions

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UNPUBLISHED INSCRIPTIONS ON THE BUGLE AND CONCH


AT THE GOVERNMENT MUSEUM, BENGALURU
Kavyashree M* & S. Karthik**

The Government Museum in with the museum. However, from


Bengaluru is one of the oldest time to time, additions to the
museums in India and the second of museum's collection have occurred,
the museums in South India.1 Exhibits like the one in 1956, but, details of
in the museum include coins of the these artefacts are not available, with
various dynasty, paintings, the museum. In this context; that a
sculptures, musical instruments, recent assessment has found that
stone inscriptions, copper plate there are two unpublished
inscriptions, ruins/ sculptures found inscriptions found on the bugle
in the excavations, such as the musical instrument, though other
accumulation of valuable objects. A artefact almost are published, till now
much required, detailed catalogue of these to unpublished inscription have
these has to be yet prepared. To our not come to the notice and either of
notice, so far only three catalogues these inscriptions being published
have been printed.2 Apart from these, anywhere else. The central purpose
the Annual Reports of the Mysore of the present article is to publish the
Archaeological Survey (1885-1956), Text of these two inscriptions.
the Annual Reports of the Mysore Out of these two inscriptions, one
Government Museum of Bangalore inscription is engraved on the outer
(1885-1956) provides information mouth of the Bugle or Kahale (in
on the objects in the museum, as Kannada), has two lines found on the
well as various other data associated Bugle is in Kannada language and
* Assistant Director & Deputy Director (I/C), Government Museum (Department of
Archaeology Museums and Heritage), Kastur ba Road, Bengaluru-560001
** Researcher, # 413, Karnataka "D' Group Employees Layout, 1st Black, 6th Main,
Lingadhiranahalli (Herohalli), Andrahalli Main Road, Bengaluru-560091
Unpublished inscriptions on the Bugle and conch at the Government Museum 69

Script, (Image-1 as per the museum palaeography.


records, its Accession number is
The bugle is an instrument used
No-39).
in battle. It has been in use since,
Inscription : 1 ancient times in Karnataka. The
bugle was used in the adulation of
Text of this Inscription
the Lord, like in temple J¢tra (fair),
Inscription on the outer mouth of the
rathôtsava (chariot festival), festive
Bugle
occasions in a village, defence of the
1 Belu II durgamma II IIka¼II yirë II fortress, a bastion, when in the
maga niruv¢´igau²aru context of wars. It is a long, tilted
instrument.
2 va°°ëgau²a II ka II ¶e
Inscription: 2
The second inscription is engraved
on the conch concealment (Shankha Text of the Inscription
kavach), it is in the Tamil language Inscription on bronze casing fitted to
and script. The text of this inscription conch
is given below in Roman Script and 1 ¹r¤
then examined. 2 Murugan du´ai
The length of the Bugle is 123 3 ba¬g¢r dëvar
centimetres and is in the shape of the The Tamil script writing on the
letter "S' of the Roman script. The conch cover also seems to be long to
meaning of the writing on the Bugle the nineteenth century. It is called the
is uncertain. There are two names Dhavala-Shankha in the museum's
mentioned on the bronze encasement record, Image-2, Accession number
of the conch, "Niruv¢nigow²a', and No-15. Dhavala means white or
"Vattëgowda'. It is not clear what is white conch. The concealment or the
Belu II Durgamma means. It is not casing is of bronze and artificially
known what streaks and Kam II. Ka inserted to cause the cone to blow.
II ¶e. The shortened form of the word There is an inscription on this cone-
Kahale is not clear. The period of this shaped bronze concealment. On the
inscription can be traced back to the other end of this concealment which
late eighteenth century based on is artistically crafted in the shape of
70 The Quarterly Journal of The Mythic Society

a leaf in metal. The total length of It is in this context that the bugle
the conch, along with bronze and conch preserved in the museum
concealment is 53 centimetres (13 must have been in use in a temple.
centimetres in length, with the cone We get umpteen references to the
embedded in the blown apart. The usage of bugle and conch in Kannada
bronze portion of the blower, is 12 literature and inscriptions in
cm long and the leaf design is 31 cm Karnataka.3
long). Murugan du´ai means the
grace of Muruga or Shanmukha. The With the available data, it is an
name ba¬g¢r dëvar can be a person's extremely grim task to explore more
name or probably, it is may also be specifics, about the bugle and conch,
a name related to a deity of a temple. at present housed in the museum. It
is hereby emphasized in this article
The conch is also used in times of that it is significant and necessary to
war, during the good times, in publish any Inscription, no matter
worship, it is used as a musical
how many lines, important or not,
instrument for good omen and driving
documentation is of utmost
all negative energies, It is considered
importance, in view of the cultural
one of the Panchamahavadyas.
tradition.

Image-1, Bugle Inscription Image-2, Conch Inscription


Unpublished inscriptions on the Bugle and conch at the Government Museum 71

References Catalogue of Sculptures [in the]


Government Museum, Bengaluru-H.T.
1. The following references can be Talwar, Department of Archaeology,
observed to know about this museum. Museums and Heritage, Mysuru-2015
* Karn¢°aka r¢jyada pur¢tattva Il¢khe: Karn¢°akada vastusa¬grah¢layaga¶allina
Ondu n¦ru varu¾a [=Archaeological citrakale [=Painting in Museums of
Survey of Karnataka State: One Hundred Karnataka]-P. G Gavani, Department of
Years] - K.G. N¢gar¢jan, Itih¢sa Archaeology, Museums and Heritage,
Darºana, Volume-1 (1986), pp 36-42, Mysuru -2017 {Kannada Language
Published by Karnataka Itihasa Work}
Academy, Bengaluru (Kannada
Language Article) 3. Kannada Sahitya Parishat's Kannada-
Kannada dictionary (Volume-2),
* Be¬ga¶¦ru pr¢cyavastu sa¬grah¢laya Be¬ga¶¦ru-1976, p 1642 and Kannada
mattu carmapras¢dana kale [=Bangalore Sahitya Parishat's Kannada-Kannada
museum and the art of taxidermy]- dictionary (Volume-8), Be¬ga¶¦ru-1995,
Vëmagal Sùmaºëkhar, Itih¢sa Darºana, pp 8063-8064
Volume-4 (1989), pp 153-156
(Kannada Language Article) Acknowledgements:

* Be¬ga¶¦ru Vastusa¬grah¢layadallidda [We thank Dr R. Gopal (The Director,


Granthabha´²¢ra [=Library of Bangalore Department of Archaeology, Museums, and
Museum] - Vçmagal Sùmaºëkhar, Itih¢sa Heritage) for granting permission to publish
Darºana, Volume-8 (1993), pp 202-204 this article and also thank Mrs B.R. Poornima
(Kannada Language Article) (The Commissioner, Department of
Archaeology, Museums, and Heritage]
2. Catalogue of Mysore Coins in the
Collection of The Government Museum
Bangalore by Capt R H Campbell
Tufnell, Madras -1889

***
January - March 2021
Vol. 112 No. 1

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