 The east porch has a Halegannada(old Kannada) inscription smeared with paint dating back to 1153 and it belongs to the reign of the seventh Ratta dynasty chief Karta Virya-III(1143-1164).Also, there is another inscription nearby belonging to the reign of fifth Ratta dynasty chief Kannakaira(1082–96).The description of Mahalingeshwara temple in the Belgaum gazetteer by James Campbell is as follows