The idol of Lord Vishnu, with its head broken, found at Chithrakudi near Budalur in Thanjavur district. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
A damaged idol of Lord Vishnu and and a Nandi statue have been found partially buried at Chithrakudi village near Budalur in Thanjavur district recently by a team of researchers.
The idols were found by the team led by Mani Maran, Tamil pandit, Saraswati Mahal Library, Thanjavur, after being alerted by S. Sathya, Assistant Professor in Tamil, Bon Secours College for Women, to the presence of the Nandi on her land. Thillai Govindarajan, headmaster, Government Elementary School, Ponthiyakulam, and G. Jayalakshmi, a government school teacher, were part of the team.
According to Mr. Maran, going by the style and features of the sculptures, both the idols belonged to the Chola period. The Nandi, with half of its body buried, was at an agricultural land at Lingathadimedu in Chithirakudi. The well sculpted idol features a “manimalai” around the neck of the Nandi. The hump of the Nandi is well sculpted and is similar to the ones found in bulls locally, Mr. Maran said.
The idol of Vishnu was found about 100 metres away on the Ananda Cauvery, an irrigation canal, which irrigates the village. “The idol, with its head and a hand broken was found close to south bank of the canal. The idol, about three-foot tall, was buried below the hip. There could have been a big Sivan temple that had fallen into ruin in the area,” Mr. Maran added.
The team also found a two-line Pallava-period inscription below the Nandi at a later period Sivan temple that exists close by. “Though the temple probably built in the 20th century, the Nandi belongs to the Pallava period. A two line inscription found at its base says that the Nandi was installed by Sri Eranakkan Mangala Vairuthan. The idol may have been found and brought from some other place,” Mr. Maran added.
