Ramlalla-style ancient idol of Bhagwan Vishnu & Shivalinga discovered near Krishna river in Karnataka

New Delhi, Feb 7: Through a recent unplanned excavation, an ancient idol of Bhagwan Vishnu and a Shivalinga have been discovered in Karnataka's Raichur district, near Krishna river. The ancient idol is gaining attention from around the world as it resembles similarities between the Ram Lalla idol installed at Ayodhya, at the hands of PM Modi on January 22, this year.

 

 

 

 

According to the reports, an ancient idol of Bhagwan Vishnu was discovered near Krishna river in Raichur district of Karnataka, along with all ten incarnations of Bhagwan Vishnu, or the ‘dashavatara’ designed in the same style as the Ram Lalla idol in Ayodhya. In fact, significance of the discovery lies in the characteristic of the discovered idol that it showcases all ten avatars of Bhagwan Vishnu, starting from Matsya (the fish), Kurma (the tortoise), Varaha (the boar), Narasimha (the half-man, half-lion), Vamana (the dwarf), Parashurama (the warrior with an axe), Rama (the prince of Ayodhya), Krishna (the charioteer of Arjuna), Buddha (the enlightened one), and Kalki (the future avatar) in the end.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The idol of Bhagwan Vishnu and Shivalinga were accidently discovered during the construction of a bridge near Shakti Nagar in Raichur. Preliminary observation of the idol suggests that rare black stone was used to sculpt it. The idols are presumably dated back to 11th century and the Kalyana Chalukyas dynasty. River Krishna that has been witness to the several phases of civilizations since ages. The river has been the an important centre of religious practices for centuries, as it has been the sole source of water for the agrarian civilization in the region.

 

 

 

 

Other than the ancient idol of Bhagwan Vishnu, an ancient Shivalinga was also discovered from the site. Both the ancient idols contribute to the hypothesis of considering the site for an archaeological excavation. Speaking about the Vishnu idol, Dr. Padmaja Desai, a lecturer in Ancient history & Archaeology at Raichur University, shared with the media, “This idol must have adored the sanctum sanctorum of a temple and must have been dropped in the river at the time of possible destruction of the temple.”

 

 

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