Hyderabad: 2 sculptures of Kakatiya period found lying in utter neglect

Hyderabad: Two sculptures of the Kakatiya period were found lying in utter neglect among the bushes at the famous Saivite temple at Umamaheswaram in Nagarkurnool district considered to be the northern gate of Srisailam.

A life-size sculpture of Shiva and a Nandi idol carved out of black basalt stone were noticed by archaeologist and Pleach India Foundation CEO E Sivanagi Reddy as a chance find during his explorations conducted near the Anjaneya temple at the foot of the hill on Tuesday, as part the heritage awareness programme called 'Preserve Heritage for Posterity'. The Saivite sculpture, according to Reddy, is broken at the head and hands and at the head and left leg of the bull sculpture, but decorated with rich ornamentation representing the artistic dexterity of the mature phase of the Kakatiya art that flourished during the 14th century AD. He informed that Sriramoju Haragopal, convener, Kotta Telangana Charitra Brindam, has confirmed that the mutilated Saivite sculpture represents Veerabhadra based on the style of art and iconography and that similar find he noticed at Devaracharla in Nalgonda district, of the same period.

Besides citing a reference to an inscription of the last Kakatiya ruler Prataparudra dated to 1320 AD found inside the temple that records donation of lands in 16 villages for the maintenance of Umamaheswara temple that attests the Kakatiya patronage, Reddy disclosed that a 14thcentury inscription at Umamaheswaram records the installation of the sculptures of Parvati, Chennakesava, Mahishasuramardhini, Veerabhadra and Nandikeswara (bull) by certain Sadananda Swamy and were carved by two sculptor, brothers China Sarabhayya and Pedda Sarabhayya. He said the sculptures of Veerabhadra and Nandi found by him in the bushes were none other than the ones mentioned in the above inscription and the other three sculptures, namely, Parvati, Chennakesava and Mahishasuramardhini were now seen inside the Maha Mandapa of the Umamaheswara temple. It is disheartening to know from the local people that the two sculptures were deliberately dozed out by some miscreants. He also lamented the neglect of an inscription of the Recharla Chief Madanayaka dated 1377 AD broken into four pieces and found scattered on the roadside at the Anjaneya temple. Reddy sensitised the temple priests and the local community on the historical significance and archaeological importance of the sculptures and appealed to authorities to preserve them for posterity by erecting them on pedestals with proper labelling.