On Naraka Chaturdasi, the day that marks the slaying of demon Narakasura by Krishna’s spouse Satyabhama, the theft of their rare statue ‘Satya Venugopala’ points to official and civilian apathy.
Consecrated at Salakamcheruvu of Singanamala mandal in Anantapuram district, the statue in ‘ardhan-areeshwara’ (half male - half female) form is considered a rarity in Sri Vaishnavite iconography. “The idol is themed on ‘Narakasura vadha' and hence Satyabhama’s ferocity is depicted through four hands, holding a bow and arrow, a ‘parashu' (axe) and ‘paasam’ (rope),” says archaeology expert J. Vijayakumar. The statue dating back to the 16th century belongs to the Singanamala region, which is home to several dilapidated and living temples and is hence considered a historical site. Mr. Vijayakumar, who retired as Deputy Director of the State Archaeology department in Telangana, hails from Chittoor district, and has worked extensively in Rayalaseema, besides being the founder member of the INTACH's Anantapuram chapter.
With the flute and cows around, the male half is anybody's guess as ‘Venugopala,’ but the female half was considered for long to be Radha, his favourite companion. During his stint as technical assistant in 1995, it was Mr. Vijayakumar who contradicted the popular belief and identified her as Satyabhama, as Radha never wielded any weapon. Speaking to The Hindu , he admired the idol as one of the best ever sighted in the State. Unfortunately, the statue was found missing recently. “It could have been mistaken by the miscreants as a semi-precious green stone, which it is not,” he says referring to the chemical treatment conducted by INTACH during his tenure.
‘Conduct heritage audit’
A great treasure is lost as its whereabouts are not known yet, he adds, urging the government to take up heritage audit and form village-level heritage committees to stand guard.
