VILLUPURAM: A statue of 1200-year-old Kotravai -- a woman warrior from the ancient period --has been unearthed at Nemur village in Villupuram, by a group of archeology activists on Wednesday.
According to archeological sources, the worship of Kotravai, presently seen as goddess Durga, had been prevalent in Tamil Nadu for over 3,000 years. The deity was worshipped as the goddess of fear, and for victory in war.
The six-feet long Kotravai statue may belong to 8-9 CE under the Pallava reign, according to sources. The figure of the goddess is seen bearing right hands with weapons, seated on a fiery buffalo.
Writer and archeological activist K Senguttuvan, who led the team, told The New Indian Express,"This deity is mentioned in our ancient literature with different names: Kanamar Selvi, Kadurai kadavul, Perungattu Korti and Kortavai. Her appearance would be beautifully interpreted in Tamil epic Silapathikaram by Elangovadigal, as a fierce woman riding on a deer."
Mentioning the distinctive features in the unearthed statue, he further said that a deer is seen below the left arm of Koratavai. "The image is reminiscent of the Paikala Bhava in the Silapathikaram, and here, we can see that there are two guards bowing down to her. So, it is evident that she had lived here in the region with an army," he said.
The activists demanded the government to conduct excavations in places near Nemur as there could be a greater chance of artefacts from the ancient period here, that will help strengthen the history of the region.