Stone inscriptions in the Kathmandu Valley
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Stone inscriptions in the Kathmandu Valley (Nepal Bhasa:नेपाःमन्दःया ल्वंह पौत) refer to ancient stone slabs, pillars and pedestals with text carved on them. They are the most important sources for the history of Nepal. A vast majority of the inscriptions found in Nepal are from the Kathmandu Valley where they are an ubiquitous element at heritage sites. They consist of royal edicts and dedicatory notes on Hindu and Buddhist temples, stupas, statues, water spouts and other architectural structures.[1] Stone inscriptions are locally referred as Lōhan Pau (Nepal bhasa:𑐮𑑂𑐰𑐴𑑅 𑐥𑑁).
The early inscriptions are from the Licchavi period, and date from the fifth to the ninth centuries. They number more than 170, and are carved in Sanskrit language and Gupta script.[2][3] Inscriptions from the 14th century onwards, which are the most numerous, are in Newar language (Nepal Bhasa) and Nepal script.[4] The earliest dated inscription in Nepal Bhasa is dated Nepal Era 293 (1173 AD).[5]
The oldest dated inscription in Kathmandu dates from the year 107 of the Saka era which corresponds to 184/185 AD. This date was accepted by all historians except Dinesh Chandra Regmi who assigned it to the Gupta era (started on A.D. 320). Paleo-graphically he says it to be close to Samudra Gupta's Allahabad inscription (A.D. 360). The inscription is carved in Gupta characters, also known as Brahmi script, on the pedestal of a statue of King Jayavarman. It was unearthed at a building site in Maligaon in 1992. The language is Sanskrit.[6]
Prior to this discovery, the distinction of the oldest dated stone inscription in the valley was held by an inscription carved on a pillar installed next to the Changu Narayan Temple in Bhaktapur which is dedicated to a Hindu deity Vishnu. It was inscribed in the year 383 which corresponds to 464 AD. It is written in the Sanskrit language and Gupta characters.[7]
