7th century Parswanadha idol found at Dharmavaram village

Vijayawada: A seventh century stone idol of Parswanadha, the 23rd Jain Tirthankara was found in the fields, close to the Bhimeshwara Temple at Dharmavaram village of Addanki mandal in Prakasam district, said Dr E Shiva Nagireddy, CEO, the Cultural Centre of Vijayawada and Amaravati (CCVA). He inspected it on Saturday, based on the information provided by the farmers of the village.

Dr Reddy, along with Dr Jyothi Chandramouli, Addanki based archaeologist and historian, Pasmal Jain, Shanti Arts, Guntur and K Srinadhareddy, Trainee Coordinator, CCVA-Heritage Club, rushed to the spot as part of the CCVA's awareness campaign 'Preserve Heritage for Posterity'.

He said that the lower portion of the broken image of Parshwanatha was already there on the premises of the temple, where as the upper portion was found in the fields near by the Bhimeshwara Temple, while the farmers were levelling the tilled soil.

Dr Shivanagi Reddy, after joining the two broken pieces of the sculpture together, said that the 3.0 high sculpture represents Parswanadha, standing stiff in kayotsarga posture is nude (Digambara Jaina sect) and canopped by seven hooded serpent.

He adds that the sculpture dates to the 7th century AD, when the area was ruled by the founder of the Eastern (Vengi) Chalukya dynasty Kubja Vishnu Vardhana (619-641 AD) whose wife was Ayyomadevi, a staunch Jain follower and made munificent grants to Jaina monasteries like those of the Nedumbi basadi in Jammidaddi area of Vijayawada in 7th century AD and Dharmavaram migh also sprang up as a Jaina Centre.

Dr Sivanagireddy appealed to the villagers and the officials of the Archaeology and Museums Dept to safeguard it for posterity, by shifting it into the temple with proper security.