Govt urged to take up excavations in Kotla Narsimhulapally village

KARIMNAGAR: Residents of the Kotla Narsimhulapally village, and historians, want the State government to take up excavations in the village to unearth historical artifacts that are regularly found in the region.

A few days ago, an idol of the Jain monk (24th Teerthankara) Vardhamana Mahavira was found by a farmer when he was cultivating his land. After this, villagers have started stressing on the need for taking up an excavation in the area to highlight its historical importance. Historians, too, have been seeking government intervention.

Historian Sankepalli Nagendra Sharma said from the idols found, it appears that Hindus and Jains stayed together in communal harmony at villages in the region. During the ancient period, the area was ruled by Nanda and Satavahana kingdoms and later, during the seventh century, the reigns of Chalukyas of Vemulawada and the Rashtrakutas followed, Sharma said. “Once upon a time, Jainism flourished in this region. If Archaeology Department takes up excavations, more historical wealth will be unearthed,” he added.

Jain devotees from Hyderabad and even Karnataka visited the area after the Jain monk’s idol found was found in the fields. The devotees had expressed wish for a temple to be constructed in the villages. Presently, Jain idols found in the region, including those of Parshvanatha and Mahavira, are placed in a room under control of the village sarpanch.

Other historical structures in the village include temples of Lord Vishwanatha and Prasanna Laxminarsimha Swamy on a hill, along with structures of barracks for prisoners and a security post. The temple has a rock sculpture of Ugra Narasimha with eight heads and multiple hands.