BALLARI : A research team from the Vijayanagar Heritage Exploration Group has discovered an exceptional black-stone sculpture of Surya (Sun God) and a rare idol of Brahma near Muddenoor village in Siruguppa taluk, Ballari district. The idols were found on the edge of a field belonging to Maunesh, located along the road leading to the village.
Carved out of fine-grained black stone, the sculptures were identified with the support of local residents Hanumanthappa, Jadesh, and Kuberappa of Balkundi village. The discovery was made by the team led by T H M Basavaraj, President of the Vijayanagar Exploration Group Prof H Tippeswamy of Vijayanagar Sri Krishnadevaraya University and Govinda, Assistant Professor at Kannada University.
Govind, One of the team member said that the Sun idol, oriented towards the east, measures 51 cm in width and 83 cm in height, with the feet measuring 13 cm. The deity is depicted holding lotus flowers in both hands, with a circular halo carved behind the head.
Based on the sculptural style, estimate the idol to belong to the 11th century, a period when Balkunde served as the capital under the Kurugodu Sindas, a ruling family known from historical sources. Balkunde holds immense historical and mythological importance. He pointed out that the black-stone Brahma idol, located in front of the village deity Banni Mahankali temple, is an impressive sculpture featuring a broad chest and raised hands.
Although villages rarely practise Brahma worship today—often identifying random black stones as representations of the deity—the Balkunde idol is an exquisitely carved piece. Locals refer to it as “Moormukhadamma”, meaning “the three-faced goddess”. Additionally, the team reported the presence of a defaced deity sculpture, a Naga stone, and remnants of a Nandi idol along the bank of the Hagari river.
Dr. Govinda stressed that, in the backdrop of the ongoing World Heritage Week, the Department of Tourism must initiate steps to protect and conserve these rare and neglected heritage artefacts Tippeswamy, Who Lead Team and President of Vijayanagar Exploration Group said that inscriptions from the Rashtrakuta period have previously been found in the region and documented in the Ballari district’s inscription compendium.
However, the legs of the Sun idol are broken. Express concern that such historically significant artefacts continue to lie abandoned and are vulnerable to weathering. T H M Basavaraj urged the district administration to take immediate steps to preserve the sculptures for future generations.