Halmidi

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Halmidi (Kannada: ಹಲ್ಮಿಡಿ) is a small village in the Hassan district of Karnataka state, India, near the temple town of Belur. Halmidi is best known as the place where the oldest known inscription exclusively in Kannada language was discovered. Earlier also many inscriptions having kannada words have been found for example Brahmagiri edict of 230BCE by Ashoka. But this is the first full scale inscription in kannada. Kannada is used in the inscriptions from earliest times and the Halmidi inscription is considered to be the earliest epigraph written in Kannada language^[1]^[2] This inscription is generally known as the Halmidi inscription and consists of sixteen lines carved on a sandstone pillar. It has been dated to 450 AD 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 resembling those of Tamil and uses Brahmi characters^[5]

In recognition of the cultural importance of the inscription, and the role played by the village of Halmidi in its preservation, the Government of Karnataka has spent INR 25 lakhs (2.5 million) on developing infrastructural facilities in the village, and on building a mantapa to house a fibreglass replica of the original inscription. The Government has also begun to promote the village as a place of historical interest.