KARIMNAGAR: Historian and researcher Karipe Rajkumar has identified a Rashtrakuta-era “Balipeetham” (sacrificial altar) beside a 10th-century CE Kalabhairava sculpture in the forested Devikonda hills near Rangadhamunipalli village in Jagtial district.
The altar, carved in the distinctive Rashtrakuta style, features a sword planted upside down on a pedestal and topped with a “purnakalasha” (sacred pot).
Rajkumar told TNIE that the structure reflects ancient ritual practices associated with Kalabhairava worship, in which animal sacrifices were offered to appease the deity and fulfil devotees’ wishes. Today, the altar is used by devotees to break coconuts near the Kalabhairava idol. Animal sacrifice, however, is illegal under present laws.
Rajkumar, who recently visited the forest and hillock area, said two more Kalabhairava sculptures carved on large boulders were also found nearby.
A short distance from the altar, he identified a 16th-century memorial stone depicting a devotee offering himself in sacrifice, another person preparing to sever his head, and a woman granting the boon of moksha. The sculpture, he said, skilfully captures a scene of self-sacrifice performed in prayer for the prosperity of a kingdom.
The historian also identified the foundations of a ruined fort and remnants of its defensive walls in the area.
WINGS & WONDER
Karimnagar: The Lower Manair Dam (LMD) turned into a haven for bird lovers on Saturday morning as the Karimnagar Birding Community, in association with the Forest department, organised a special bird walk. Participants documented nearly 43 bird species in a single day, including spot-billed ducks, little terns, river terns, oriental pratincoles and black-winged stilts