Jain idol from 7th century found

Vijayawada: A seventh century stone idol of Parswanadha, the 23rd Jain Tirthankara , has been found in the fields close to Bhimeswara temple at Dharmavaram village of Addanki mandal in Prakasam district. After being intimated by locals, historians E Sivanagireddy, Jyothi Chandramouli and Pasmal Jain rushed to the spot and inspected the sculpture on Saturday.

Sivanagireddy, who is also the CEO of Cultural Centre of Vijayawada & Amaravati (CCVA), observed that the lower portion of the broken idol was already there in the premises of the temple, whereas the upper portion was found in the fields by farmers while they were levelling the tilled soil. After joining the two broken pieces, Sivanagireddy said the 3-feet idol, standing stiff in Kayotsarga posture (Digambara Jain sect) and canopied by a seven-hooded serpent, could be that of Parswanadha.

He added that the sculpture dates back to seventh century AD, when the area was ruled by Kubja Vishnu Vardhana (619-641 AD), the founder of Eastern (Vengi) Chalukya dynasty. His wife Ayyomadevi was a staunch Jain follower. Jain monasteries like Nedumbi Basadi in Jammidaddi area of Vijayawada came up during that time.

Dharmavaram area also became a famous Jain centre during Vishnu Vardhana’s rule. The Bhimeswara temple at Dharmavaram may have been dedicated to Parswanadha Jain, Sivanagireddy said.