Halmidi | |
|---|---|
town | |
 Halmidi Inscription replica mounted on a pedestal | |
  Halmidi Location in Karnataka, India | |
| Coordinates:13°14′41″N75°49′14″E / 13.244833°N 75.820683°E /13.244833; 75.820683 | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Karnataka |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Kannada |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| ISO 3166 code | IN-KA |
| Vehicle registration | KA |
| Website | karnataka |
Halmidi is a small village in theHassan district ofKarnataka state, India, near the temple town ofBelur. Halmidi is best known as the place where the oldest knowninscription exclusively inKannada language, theHalmidi inscription, was discovered. Anterior to this, many inscriptions with Kannada words have been discovered, such asBrahmagiri edict of 230 BCE of Emperor Ashoka. However, this is the first full length inscription in Kannada.[1][2] This inscription is generally known as theHalmidi inscription and consists of sixteen lines carved on asandstone slab. It has been dated to 450 CE and demonstrates that Kannada was used as a language of administration at that time.[3][4] The inscription is in primitive Kannada with distinctive characteristics attributed to those ofProto-Kannada and uses Kannada script similar to Brahmi characters.[5]
Halmidi village is located betweenChikmagalur city and Belur town. In recognition of the cultural importance of the inscription, and the role played by the village of Halmidi in its preservation, the Government ofKarnataka has spent₹25 lakh on developing infrastructural facilities in the village, and on building amantapa to house afibreglass replica of the original inscription. The Government has also begun to promote the village as a place of historical interest.
