16th-Century Inscription in Haveri Reveals Man Who Cremated 6,307 Bodies
In a discovery that has stunned historians and archaeologists, a rare 16th-century stone inscription has been unearthed in Guttal, Haveridistrict, Karnataka. The inscription records an extraordinary act of compassion by a man named Marulayya, who singlehandedly carried out the cremation of 6,307 bodies during a devastating famine in 1539 CE.
Found at the Chandrashekhara Swamy temple, this inscription is engraved in Kannada and dated to Shalivahana Shaka 1462 (August 18, 1539), during the reign of Achyuta Raya of the Vijayanagara Empire. The record highlights the impact of famine and disease that ravaged the region, likely worsened by drought and outbreaks of plague or cholera.
Marulayya, the son of Nannideva and subordinate of local chieftain Timmayya Swamy, is said to have personally transported the dead—often on his head—and performed their last rites as a spiritual offering to gain punya (merit) for his king. No other known inscription in the world documents such a mass cremation by a single person.
The stone also includes a striking sculpture of Marulayya: muscular, bearded, and carrying a bamboo basket with corpses. He is flanked by symbolic elements like the Shiva Linga, sun, and moon, reflecting religious reverence and the eternal remembrance of his act.
Led by Dr. R. Shejeshwar of the Hampi Archaeological Museum, along with researchers Dr. Ravikumar K. Navalagund and Dr. Chamaraj Kammar, the team is now searching for the actual cremation site.
This discovery is hailed as a first-of-its-kind historical record, shedding light on selfless service and social responsibility in pre-modern India.
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