U+10A02 "𐨂" Kharoshthi Vowel Sign U Unicode Character

U+10A02 "𐨂" Kharoshthi Vowel Sign U is a diacritical mark used in the Kharoshthi script, an ancient writing system employed primarily for the Gāndhārī language and other Prakrits in parts of South and Central Asia from around the 3rd century BCE to the 3rd century CE. This specific sign represents the vowel sound "u" and is placed as a modifying mark beneath a consonant character to indicate the presence of that vowel, altering the inherent short "a" sound commonly associated with base Kharoshthi consonants. The character is part of the Kharoshthi block in Unicode, which was added to support the digital representation of historical and religious texts, particularly those related to early Buddhist manuscripts.