INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
HYDERABAD: Neglected and forgotten, Jain Tirthankara sculptures and inscriptions have been discovered on two pillars of a tank sluice in
Enikepalli village of Moinabad Mandal of Rangareddy district
The two pillars, one of granite and the other of black basalt, showcase four Tirthankaras - 'Adinatha', 'Neminatha', 'Parshvanatha' and
They are depicted in a seated meditation posture and adorned with 'Keerthimukhas' on the top
The slabs bear inscriptions in Telugu-Kannada script, but their meaning remains elusive as they are firmly integrated into the masonry walls
of the village tank's sluice, said archaeologist Dr E Sivanagireddy who visited the site on Sunday following information provided by
heritage activist P Srinath Reddy.Based on the visible portion of an inscription, it is believed that these sculptures were originally part
of a Jain basadi (monastery) located near Chilukuru, which served as a prominent Jain centre during the Rashtrakuta and Vemulawada Chalukyan
periods (9th-10th centuries CE).Dr Sivanagireddy emphasised that the complete details can only be ascertained once the slabs are carefully
removed from the sluice and impressions are taken.According to him, the Jain Tirthankara slabs were likely procured from a local dilapidated
Jain temple and placed within the sluice approximately a century ago.Given the archaeological significance of these pillars, Dr
Sivanagireddy appealed to the villagers to safeguard them by relocating them from the sluice and installing them on a pedestal, accompanied
by appropriate labelling that includes historical details.
