Bonalu predates early-1800s plague tale: ASI finds Krishnadevaraya-era epigraph on ‘Bonalu’ and ‘Rangam’
An inscription from 1516 CE, during Krishnadevaraya's reign, has been identified by the Archaeological Survey of India, tracing the Bonalu festival's roots to this period. This discovery challenges the commonly held belief that the tradition began in the early 19th century, indicating its practice much earlier.
