A rare sculpture of Nagabhairava said to be dating back to the 14th or the 15th century has been found at Kairla, Nandalike village, Karkala taluk in Udupi district.
According to T. Murugeshi, Associate Professor, Department of Ancient History and Archaeology, MSRS College, Shirva, Udupi district the sculpture was found during an archaeological exploration by his team.
Naga sculptures are commonly found in the coastal Karnataka. But, the association with the Bhairava cult is interesting, he said in a press release on Monday. Kairla was a great centre of Mahakali worship, he added.
“The sculpture is a curious one by its iconography as well. It is found on a green schist stone, rectangular in shape with a conical shape on the top. At the bottom of the stone, a single hooded serpent in four knots or quarter mandala is shown on the hood and Bhairava is depict in standing posture with four hands. He holds two serpents in his rear hands and a Nagadanda in his front right hand and human head in left hand. On the top two knots of serpent and two Nagakannikas’ are shown standing with holding serpents each. A five hooded serpent umbrella is shown over the head of the Nagabhairava, who is also wearing sacred thread and half lower garment,” he said.
“The entire image is in the style of folk tradition in appearance and it has a close resemblance with that of a Bhairava sculpture found in Ninnikal near Nandikuru, which was a capital seat of Ballala’s of Kuthyar and the sculputre belongs to the 14th or the 15th century,” Mr. Murugeshi said.
The Bhairava cult was closely associated with the Jain goddess Padmavati, who was also a serpent goddess. At Humcha, which is a famous Jain pilgrimage centre near Tirthahalli, Bhairava is a Khsetrapala god, he said.
Published - October 10, 2022 10:44 pm IST
