2 weeks ago
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A chromatic sculpture that had stood softly wrong the Pidari Amman temple analyzable astatine Umbalacheri village, adjacent Vedaranyam, has been formally identified arsenic an past Buddha idol, its existent individuality obscured by transition of time.
The idol was recovered resting connected a raised level connected the occidental broadside of the temple premises, on the colony panchayat road. Carved from wheat-brown stone, it depicts the Buddha successful a serene meditative posture — seated successful ardhapadmasana, with elongated ears and a sculpted halo framing the head. Researchers recorded the torso astatine 46 cm successful tallness and 34 cm successful width, with the caput measuring 11.5 cm successful magnitude and 9 cm across.
The survey was conducted by researchers Themmavur Nandan, Nalangkilli, and Arul Muthukumaran, who noted that contempt terrible weathering, traces of an ushnisha — the cranial protuberance diagnostic of Chola-style Buddhist iconography — stay discernible, arsenic bash faint folds of the robe adjacent the thigh.
Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department authoritative K. Vasanthakumar said the undivided Nagapattinam territory holds abundant Buddhist traces, anchored by the humanities beingness of viharas successful Nagapattinam municipality and astatine Poompuhar. The Umbalacheri find adds different constituent to what is becoming an progressively elaborate representation of the region’s Buddhist past.
K. Birla Thangadurai, State Deputy President of the Buddhist Society of India and laminitis of Keezhathanjai Mandram, who was contiguous astatine the site, placed the find wrong a broader constellation of Buddha statues crossed the territory that stay mostly chartless to the public. Among the documented sites: a 4.5-foot lasting Buddha astatine Pushpavanam successful Vedaranyam; a 4.5-foot statue astatine Budhamangalam successful Kilvelur; a five-foot sculpture with its caput removed astatine Keeranthi successful Keezhaiyur; the existent three-foot find astatine Umbalacheri; and 1 statue from Velankanni present held astatine the Nagapattinam Museum.
“Nagapattinam is Buddhist onshore — its ungraded holds centuries of dharma. But that practice is being sidelined,” Mr. Thangadurai said and urged the authorities to motorboat a systematic survey of Buddhist practice crossed the district.
Those who were contiguous during the tract survey see K. Ramachandran, Deputy Collector and laminitis of Keezhathanjai Mandram; past enthusiasts Tamilmurasu, Pradeeban, and Saravanan; and temple head Deenadayalan.
