Chola era sculptures found near Thanjavur

THANJAVUR: Two

sculptures

dating back to the

Chola era

were found in an agriculture field in

Thanjavur

district of Tamil Nadu on Thursday.

Kamaraj of Kamadevamangalam near Bhuthalur, who was ploughing his field for samba cultivation, unearthed a five-foot Dwara Balagar and a two-and-a-half-foot lingam in two different places.

A group of researchers headed by Mani Maran, Tamil pandit of

Saraswathi Mahal Library

in Thanjavur, visited the field.

The team also discovered a small stone protruding from the surface of the field. The stone was 15 feet away from the spot where the lingam was unearthed. On digging further, they found the Dwara Balagar sculpture.

Mani Maran said, “The lingam was carved using quality granite, and hands and legs of Dwara Balagar were in a broken condition.”

He added that the sculptures belonged to the Chola era.

“Usually, we assess the period of any sculptures based on its appearance. The dress, ornaments and figures speak volume about its period. Sculptures made during Chola, Pallava, Chera era have their own identities. Based on these things, we usually come to a conclusion that the unearthed sculptures belonged to which period," Mani Maran told TOI.

Many sculptures unearthed by the team were placed in many temples in and around Thanjavur. However, people usually don’t like the sculptures in broken condition. Mani Maran appealed to the archaeological department to shift them to the government museum.

Stating that each Shiva temple has two Dwara Balagar near the entrance, he said, “Another one might be somewhere around there. Further excavation may help find similar sculptures.”

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