Kalya (Kalavathi pattana) or Kalya is a historic settlement located in Magadi Taluk, Ramanagara district of Karnataka, India. Kalya as an early settlement can be attested by prehistoric rock art and tools reported from Kalya and inscriptional evidence in the village starting from 550 CE to the early 17th century CE, making it one of the few places in the country that has been continuously inhabited for 3000 to 3500 years.^[1][2]

Kalya has been variously documented as Kalleha, Kalyaha and Kalleha Pattana in the inscriptions, this village houses more than 28 documented inscriptions, three tiger-hunting hero stones, four Veera Masti stones, Nisidhi stones, a lingamudra stone, Kalleshwara temple, tomb of the famous 12th-century Telugu poet Palkuriki Somanatha, a Veerashaiva Jangam Mutt, Manasthamba, and icons of Buddhist, Jaina, Vaishnava, and Shaiva sects Alongside these historical remnants, Prehistoric rock art and tools have also been reported from Kalya, indicating that this village has been inhabited for approximately 3500–4000 years.^[3][4] The Kalleshwara temple is a cave temple located atop a small hillock in the village is particularly of religious significance as many inscriptions have been found documenting the donations made to the temple for the worship of the deity and the upkeep of the temple.

Kalya has also been identified with "bauddhavasapuri kalavathi pattana", literally translated as "the Kalavavhithi city where Buddhists live" as documented in a copper plate inscription of Turuvekere by Dr Chidanandamurthy.^[5] The tomb of the famous 12th-century Telugu poet Palkuriki Somanatha, the author of the first biographical work on Basavanna, the Basava Purana, is in the village. The story of how he came about this village is mentioned in his own work and he says that enamored by the devotion of the shivasharane Sarvashile Chennamma, he came to the village to seek her blessings and decided to stay in the village upon the request of the saintess made Kalya his abode for the rest of his life.^[6] The Jangama mutt has the tomb of the nun and is situated on a small hillock in the village.

The place is very well known because of a unique religious intrigue that happened at the site in the 15th century CE between the vaishnavas and jains, the story goes that there was a physical altercation the Vaishnavas and Jains of the region due to an issue leading to death of some jains. The conflict was taken to the court of the Vijayanagara ruler, Bukka Raya II by a merchant of Kalya. An inscription documenting this was put up in Kalya and four other sites of Jain significance, including Shravanabelagola and Penukonda, the king orders the parties to stop the fight and orders the Vaishnavas of Melukote, Srirangam, Tirumala to be responsible for the upkeep of the Jain temples by erecting inscriptions honoring this decree in Jain temples throughout the kingdom and allowing the playing of the panchamahavadyas in the jain temples.

Quick Facts Jain-Srivaishnava conflict resolution Inscription, Writing ...

Jain-Srivaishnava conflict resolution Inscription
Digital image obtained by 3D scanning of the Kalya 1368CE Bukkaraya Kannada Inscription
Writing	Kannada script
Created	1368 CE
Discovered	Kalya, Magadi, Karnataka 12.9797446°N 77.1796794°E / 12.9797446; 77.1796794

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It is one of the most remarkable inscription documented in Karnataka, it is a Kannada inscription dated to 1368 CE issued during the reign of Bukkaraya II. It records that a dialogue (saṃvāja) between Jains and the Srivaishnavas escalated into a fight and the Jains had been unjustly killed by the Srivaishnavas, this conflict was taken to the court of Bukkaraya II of the Vijayanagara Kingdom by the Jains of Anegondi, Penukonda, Hospattana and Kalya, this conflict was resolved by the king by ordering the Srivaishnavas of Tirumala, Tirunarayanapura (Melukote) and Srirangam to allow the rightful playing of the panchamahavadyas ( five great instruments ) in the Jain temples and that the Srivaishnavas had to issue decrees and install it in Jain temples following the order throughout the kingdom. The inscription starts with an invocatory verse on Ramanuja, ironically the verse praises Ramanuja as being a great subduer of the pāsaṇḍas (sramanas) and records the Srivaishnavas as bhakta, the imitation of this inscription was also erected in Shravanabelagola, it was put up after a month of being installed in Kalya. The inscription was documented and published in Volume 9, Epigraphia carnatica.^[7]

It is a Kannada inscription dated to the 14th century CE. It consists of a verse from the Pramanasangraha, an 8th-century Jain composition authored by Akalanka.^[8]

It is a Kannada inscription dated to March 22, 1536 CE and records the donation of rituals items to the god Kalleshwara by a Singarayya.^[10]

It is a Kannada inscription dated to 1540 CE paleographically. It records land grants to the god Kalleshwara by a Singaraja, it indicates the area of land donated and other particulars. Interestingly, interestingly it records the land as being donated on the orders of the deity Kalleshwara himself instead of the local ruler or king, indicating the people's recognition of the god Kalleshwara as a legitimate authority over the land. Many Indian kings and kingdoms were ruled under the name of the god, rulers positing themselves as the true representatives of such a god, the Travancore kingdom, Kashi were some places that were ruled under this norm. It was discovered by the Mythic Society Bengaluru Inscriptions 3D Digital Conservation Project team.^[11]

This incomplete Kannada inscription is dated to 1549CE, with the content available, it possibly pertains to a grant by a king, the mention of the word "immadi" in other inscriptions including this, indicates that this was a donation by Immadi Kempegowda of the Yelahanka Naadaprabhu dynasty under the Karnataka (Vijayanagara) empire. It was discovered by The Mythic Society Bengaluru Inscriptions 3D Digital Conservation Project team.^[12]

It is an incomplete Kannada inscription dated paleographically to the 17th century CE, it records a great devotee (mahabhakta) of the god Kalleshwara, his name possibly starts with "Talada". The Inscription was discovered by The Mythic Society Bengaluru Inscription 3D Digital Conservation Project team.^[13]

It is a very worn-out Kannada inscription, the legible text indicates a grant to the siddas of God (Kalleshwara). A tantric mandala symbol is beside the inscription.^[14] The Inscription was discovered by The Mythic Society Bengaluru Inscription 3D Digital Conservation Project team.

It is a Kannada inscription dated to 18-July-1531 (Julian). Much of the text is effaced, the legible text indicates a possible land grant by a ballalbatta the god (Kalleshwara).^[9]

• Kannada inscriptions
• Historical Monuments of Magadi
• Early Indian epigraphy
• History of Bangalore
• Jainism
• History of Jainism
• Jainism in Karnataka
• Sankighatta Jain temple