A group of history students of Bharathidasan University have discovered a sculpture of Jain Tirthankara Mahavira at Eraiyur in Pudukottai district recently, according to the Archaeological Research Forum, Pudukottai.
The four students, S. Mariammal, S. Rengaraj, R. Priyanka and S. Logeswaran, all second year students of the five-year integrated course in M.A. History at Bharathidasan University, stumbled upon the sculpture, a stone lingam and broken pieces of a nandi.
The students, with interest in archaeology, made the discovery during a field exploration taken up at the village. They were guided by A. Manikandan, research scholar, Department of Ancient Science, Tamil University, and founder of Archaeological Research Forum, as he had earlier found remnants of a temple in the village.
“We found the sculpture half buried in a thorny bush and were able to identify it as Mahavira as we had studied about him and seen his images. Our assumption was subsequently confirmed by the Archaeological Research Forum too,” said Mr. Rangaraj.
The sculpture measured 89 cm in height and 54 cm in width.
Mr.Manikandan said the sculpture depicting Mahavira in a seated meditative posture probably belonged to the 10th century CE.