Tirhuta Gvang

It marks nasalization in Vedic and classical Sanskrit written in Tirhuta. Nasalization means producing a sound with air flowing through the nose; this sign preserves that reading in a Sanskrit text. It is an orthographic sign, not a standalone word.

Tirhuta, also called Mithilakshar (“script of Mithila”), descends from Gauḍī, which developed from the Kuṭila branch of the older Brahmi writing tradition by the 10th century. Bengali, Newari, and Odia also descend from Gauḍī; Tirhuta had become distinct from them by the 14th century.

The oldest known Tirhuta inscriptions are temple records in Bihar and Nepal dated to the 13th century. Tirhuta remained Maithili’s main writing system until the 20th century, when Devanagari replaced it. A 2011 account records it in religious and literary manuscripts, family genealogies, personal correspondence, signage, and printed material.