Preserve the rich heritage by relocating the sculptures for upcoming generations so that they can know the great history of Bejagam village: Kolipaka Srinivas
WARANGAL: Two sculptures of Vardhaman Mahavira, the 24th Jain Tirthankara, dating back to different historical periods were found here in Bejagam village of Siddipet district on Wednesday, said Kolipaka Srinivas, a member of Kotha Telangana Charitra Brundam (KTCB).
Speaking on the occasion, Srinivas said that a sculpture of Mahavira was found submerged in Raya Cheruvu, located on the outskirts of the village. It was with ‘ushnisha’ (a crown-like feather on its head). The sculpture was carved from unique black stone and is estimated to from the 8th-9th centuries.
The second sculpture, though broken and discarded near the Hanuman Temple in the village, also depicts Mahavira. It is characterised by a round face and a smaller ‘ushnisha’. It was found carved from a rare black stone and is believed to date back to the 8th or 9th century.
An inscription from 1072 CE was also found in the village which describes that donation to the Bejagam deity by Pampa Paermanadigal during the reign of the Kalyani Chalukya ruler Bhuvanaikamalla Deva. Another fragment of an inscription from the same period also supports the hypothesis that the Bejagam deity mentioned in these records refer to Jain Tirthankara.
Other than the sculptures, the Bejagam village also has a collection of Nandi statues, Shivalinga, Ganesh, Bhairava and Naga stones, all related to the Shiva Temple that is present in the village. The name of Bejagam might have originated from Vaijnath, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas.
Srinivas appealed to the state government and to the villagers to preserve the rich heritage by relocating the sculptures for upcoming generations so that they can know the great history of Bejagam village.
