Mysterious Ancient Jain Statue Found In Koraput

Mysterious Ancient Jain Statue Found In Koraput

For a long time Odisha has been at the confluence of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. The amalgamation of these religions is deeply embedded into the cultural fabric of Odisha. Every now and then relics from the past are found in various places all across the state. On December 18 an ancient statue that is believed to be of Jain origin was discovered during a temple restoration and excavation of nearby sites at Subai. It is a place in Koraput district and is of archaeological importance.

The State Archaeology Department has been working on the restoration of neglected shrines in the district. During the restoration of the Subai Jain Temple, excavators discovered a statue and some remains of temples, a few distance away from the Jain temple. According to Gopinath Bisoyi, the contractor engaged in the site excavation they were completely unaware of the existence of another temple nearby to the mentioned site. While excavating the nearby areas, they discovered the precious statue. He feeThere are chances of getting more valuable artefacts and ancient statues if further excavation is carried out in the surrounding areas.”

Akshay Kumar Sethi, the District Culture Officer of Koraput got the information about an ancient Jain statue being discovered from the excavation site at Subai. They have now decided to conduct a comprehensive study on the sculpture and preserve it at the Koraput Museum. Although the statue has been excavated from a Jain temple, it appears like a statue of ‘Vishnu’. After a detailed study and examination one might be able to arrive at any conclusion regarding its identity and Geologic Time Scale (GTS).

According to Priyabrata Patra, a local history researcher, Koraput beholds a rich cultural identity since the reign of Nandapur ruler Vijaya Chandraksha Deo. He was under the subsidiary alliance of Puri rulers and often sent soldiers in the time of need. When Vijaya Chandraksha shifted his capital from Nandapur to Jeypore, it is believed that he converted himself into Jain and erected many temples during the era. For many years, the temples remained intact, however, people from tribal communities took the statues to different areas with the belief that they were statues of ‘Lord Shiva’.