Hyderabad: A large ancient Jain sculpture in Nangunuru village, Siddipet district, Telangana, is in danger due to ongoing quarrying activity nearby. This sculpture is the tallest Vardhaman Mahavir Jain Tirthankar stone statue in the state.
Senior archaeologist Dr. E Sivanagireddy visited the site after being informed by Sriramoju Haragopal and Ahobilam Karunakar from the Kotha Telangana Charitra Brundam. He found the statue, which is about 9 feet tall and 3.5 feet wide, standing on a small hill to the south of the village. The granite sculpture, showing Lord Mahavira in a stiff standing position, is partly buried up to the knees. Dr. Reddy observed that quarrying was happening all around the sculpture.
According to Dr. Reddy, the statue belongs to the Digambara sect of Jainism and is from the 9th century CE, during the Rastrakuta period. It has a special feature called an ushnisha, a bump on the head that is common in Tirthankara images. He also found another small Mahavira sculpture nearby, hidden in bushes, and one more inside a local Anjaneya temple. These findings show that Nangunuru was once an important Jain center.
The presence of old bricks and broken pottery pieces near the large statue suggests there was once a Jain monastery at the site. Dr. Reddy spoke to local villagers about the historical importance of the sculpture and urged them to protect it from further damage. Others who joined the effort included RK Jain, Chairman of the Old Temple Renovation Trust, along with Ahobilam Karunakar, Pawan, and B. Sudhakar Singh.
