कर्नाटक के एक सुदूर गाँव में अशोक-कालीन शिलालेख मिला

A new Minor Rock Edict of Emperor Ashoka has been identified in a remote village in the Raichur district of Karnataka. The inscription, carved on a granite boulder, is written in Prakrit using the Brahmi script. It encourages the local populace to practice non-violence and highlights the Emperor's commitment to social welfare, specifically the establishment of botanical gardens for medicinal plants.

The discovery is significant as it fills a geographic gap in the distribution of Mauryan inscriptions in the Deccan. Local villagers had protected the rock for generations, believing the carvings were sacred symbols. Epigraphists believe this edict confirms the region's importance as a center for Buddhist missionary activity during the 3rd century BCE.