[S.T.D.]

aravindhan,
Many thanks for taking the trouble to reply. I did find a reference to the theory of script based on geometric shapes (without a reference to the commentator) in http://www.cmi.ac.in/gift/Epigraphy/...amilorigin.htm
I am not really in to these things but it is good to see how history changes with new discoveries. Part of my curiosity stems from the fact that I used to live in a village Gudavalli near Bhattiprolu and used to pass by the stupa site whenever I visited my maternal grandparents. My sister-in-law tells me that once she found a stone in one of the roadside sewage pits in Gudavalli. When she got it removed and cleaned it up, it has some writing about the origins of the village. Amaravati is also nearby and many slabs there were used by farmers for making lime. It is good see that there are still some relics left which throw some light on our heritage.
Swarup