Vijayawada: A huge stone inscription, 20 feet in length and with a radius of 90 cm has been found in Malkapuram of Tullur. Though the inscription was found by the Archaeological Survey of India some time ago, little attention was paid to it. It was lying neglected with few having any knowledge about it till now.

But due to the efforts of the department of archaeology and the museums of AP, it is back in focus and all set to gain due attention.

S. Bangaraiah, assistant director, department of archaeology and museums, said that the inscription showed the foresight of Rani Rudrama Devi, a prominent Kakatiya dynasty ruler, who had set up maternity centres as early as in the 13th century.

“Shifting the inscription to the Victoria Jubilee museum in Vijayawada is difficult, so it was decided to preserve it on the site,” he said.

“We hope to find many more such things of historical significance in the other villages in the capital region and will submit a report to the state government in January,” Mr Bangaraiah said. The government will decide how best to preserve these antiquities.

The department has been conducting a detailed survey in Tullur, the state capital region in Guntur district, to identify temples, mutts, mandapams and ponds of historical significance

Currently, the survey is being taken up in all the villages in the capital area. The survey was started on December 19, and will be completed by the month-end. Mr Bangaraiah said that the articles, artefacts and sculptures found during the survey would be shifted to museums if deemed fit. Otherwise, they would be preserved where they were found.