{
  "id": 3028801,
  "title": "ASI discovers earliest epigraphical references to Guntur’s history",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/asi-discovers-earliest-epigraphical-references-to-gunturs-history",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-24T13:38:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/asi-discovers-earliest-epigraphical-references-to-gunturs-history/article71383913.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has uncovered the earliest epigraphical references to Guntur's history, revealing crucial insights into the city's antiquity. According to Dr. K. Munirathnam Reddy, ASI Director of Epigraphy, the first-ever mention of Guntur appears in the Pune copper plates issued by King Vishnuvardhana II of the Eastern Chalukya dynasty in 669 CE. This historical record documents the evolution of the city's nomenclature, with variations such as Kumturu, Gomturu, and Gunturu appearing throughout centuries. The Ederu copper plate inscription from the 10th century further confirms the city's name as Gomturu, which remained in continuous usage across regional inscriptions from the 10th to the 14th century. These discoveries offer a tangible window into the socio-political and linguistic evolution of Andhra Pradesh during the medieval period under the Eastern Chalukyas.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}