Labourers unearth 700-year-old sculpture near Jalakanteshwara Temple

Priests, former MLA have called for wider excavation by the the Muzrai Department

The cannonball that was discovered at the same site. Credit: DH photo/Pushkar V.

The discovery of a cannonball and a sculpture depicting Shiva and Parvathi on the Nandi next to the ancient Jalakanteshwara Temple in Kalasipalya led to hopes of a larger structure.

Labourers unearthed the stone carving and the cannonball last week while digging the ground to construct a new building on the premises of the Vani Vilas Girls High School and Pre-University College, located next to the temple.

Director of the state archeology department Gopal Rao, who visited the spot, said the cannonball and the sculpture were unrelated.

“As per our initial assessment, we believe the sculpture can be traced back to about 700 years. It looks like a depiction of a tale from Shivapurana. However, since the sculpture is incomplete, we will conduct further investigation on Monday,”
he said.

He said the cannonball fits the pattern of similar findings discovered in the last 10 years, including at the time of the metro construction work. “It most likely belongs to the Tipu Sultan era,” he said.

Jalakanteshwara Temple priest Mohan Dixit has dubbed the findings significant and added that a group of priests has requested the Muzrai Department to conduct larger excavations in the area to unearth the archaeological and religious structures.

“The temple has a 2,000-year history and is part of Bengaluru’s endless heritage. This discovery shows that we still have a lot of archeological treasure yet to be discovered,” Dixit said.

Former MLA R V Devaraj has backed the priests and even went a step further by stating that the area must be taken over by the Muzrai Department.

In a letter to the commissioner of the Religions Endowments and Muzrai Department, he said signs of a ‘kalyani’ (stepped well) have been found during the digging.

“There is an urgent need for excavation and restoration of the heritage. The department should take over the entire area,” he said.

Space for schoolchildren

Sources said taking over the land will deny schoolchildren the little open space left in the area. “There is no doubt that heritage should be protected and restored. But the department should ensure it won’t harm the interests of the children,” a source familiar with the issue said.