The Mahavir statue is of the 24th Tirthankar in Jainism, Mahavir. The statue is 89 cm tall and 54 cm wide, with a monolithic structure of the impalement stake nearby.
Published: 29th December 2021 08:00 PM | Last Updated: 29th December 2021 08:00 PM | A+ A A-
The Mahavir statue unearthed in Pudukkotai. (Photo | EPS)
PUDUKKOTTAI: A 10th century Mahavir statue has been discovered at a village in the district by a group of students from Bharathidasan University. An impalement stake and a Shiva lingam were also found nearby.
A Manikandan, founder of the Archaeological Research Forum, confirmed their findings and stated that it has not been noted anywhere so far. What's interesting, according to him, is the presence of an impalement stake less than 100 metres from the Mahavir statue, and the presence of a Shiva lingam nearby.
Manikandan said that the Mahavir statue is of the 24th Tirthankar in Jainism, Mahavir. The statue is 89 cm tall and 54 cm wide, with a monolithic structure of the impalement stake nearby.
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"What's interesting about the finding is the presence of an impalement stake near a Mahavir statue. The presence of a Shiva lingam nearby confirms what we've learnt in paintings in Avudaiyarkoil and some temples in Madurai. Thieves and crooks used to be impaled on a pole during olden times. We need to study this further to find the actual time period," said Manikandan.
While the original impalement pole could have been made of wood/metal, a monolithic structure is present in place, constructed by locals. Locals worship the structure and believe that a god sits on it.
"This structure has been there since I was born. We worship this as it is believed that it is powerful and a god sits on it," said a local. The students who discovered the structures -- Mariammal, Rangaraj, Lokeshwaran and Priyanka -- are pursuing second year in their five-year integrated history course.
"We have been visiting Jain sites in Pudukkottai, like Sittanavasal. We were then informed that a Jain statue might be there in the area. That's how we chanced upon it," said Rangaraj.
The statue is located en route to Muthukadu from Iratur village. Further studies would be carried out by the Archaeological Research Forum.
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