VIJAYAWADA: Nearly 800-year-old sculptures and 400-year-old wooden chariot were found in utter neglect on the premises of Sakaleswara Swamy temple at Madala village in Muppala mandal of Palnadu district. Archaeologist and CEO of Pleach India Foundation Dr E Sivanagi Reddy visited the remains on Saturday based on the information given by Secretary of Srinatha Sahitya Parishat, Swarna China Rami Reddy and Guntur-based heritage activist Manimela Sivasankar.
Reddy noticed nearly 20 sculptures, including Mahisarura Mardini, Bhairava, Ganesa, Kumara Swamy, Hero Stones and Nagadevatas. Over 28 inscriptions of the period between 1125 CE and 1523 CE representing the Kondapadumati, Velanati chiefs, Kakatiyas and Vijayanagara kings recording construction of the temples, Sakaleswara, Sagareswara, Koteswara and Tripurantakeswara and donation of lands for maintenance and sheep for perpetual lamps lying scattered here and there, which were left neglected.
He said the name of the village was mentioned as Mamandala in the inscriptions which corrupted into the present name Madala. He lamented on utter neglect of those remains and also the deliberate coating of chemical colours on the beautiful sculptures of Nandi (12th century) and Ganesa (16th century) resulted in erasing the antiquity of the sculptures.
The 30 ft high and 120 ft wide chariot parked in a brick structure representing the skills of the craftsmen of the Vijayanagara period once outshined during the ceremonial processions of the temple is now in a crumbled state. He urged the temple authorities to restore it immediately. He made an appeal to the temple authorities and the villagers to erect the sculptures and inscriptions on pedestals with labels displaying historical details to preserve them for posterity.