Entertainment · Books & Arts · 9 hrs ago
Rare ninth-century Gajalakshmi sculpture found neglected in Telangana
A rare stone sculpture has been found neglected in Yanagandla village in Medak district, Telangana.
Historians date it to the ninth century, during the Rashtrakuta period.
One side shows the goddess Lakshmi seated between elephants, with a scene of gods and demons churning the ocean above her.
Historians said that this ocean-churning scene is a rare feature not previously reported in Telangana or Andhra Pradesh.
The other side shows Shiva as a 12-armed dancer, with Brahma and Vishnu beside him.
The carvings make the sculpture an important example of the region’s heritage.
Historians and heritage activists have urged villagers to protect it and place it on a pedestal.
A rare ninth-century Gajalakshmi sculpture from the Rashtrakuta period was found lying neglected in Yanagandla village in Telangana’s Medak district.
Heritage activists and historians visited the site on Saturday to examine it.
The black granite sculpture shows Gajalakshmi with elephants and a depiction of the churning of the ocean.
Its reverse depicts Shiva as a 12-armed Nataraja, with Brahma and Vishnu seated beside him.
The team urged villagers to protect the sculpture and install it on a pedestal.
- Who
- Heritage activists and historians, including members of Kotha Telangana Charitra Brundam, examined the sculpture.
- What
- A rare ninth-century sculpture depicting Gajalakshmi was found lying neglected.
- When
- The team visited the site on Saturday. The article was published on October 11, 2026.
- Where
- Yanagandla village, Kulcharam mandal, Medak district, Telangana.
- Why
- Not stated
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
No direct quotes in the coverage so far.
The sculpture was made during the Rashtrakuta period.
Heritage activists and historians visited the site to examine the sculpture.
- Age
- Ninth century CE
- Period
- Rashtrakuta
- Village
- Yanagandla
- District
- Medak
- Material
- Black granite
- Reverse carving
- Shiva as a 12-armed Nataraja
Sources
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