TIRUVANNAMALAI: A stone carving of Kotravai Bagavathi with inscriptions, dating back to the 11th Century, was discovered in a Kaliamman temple at Neepathurai near Chengam in Tiruvannamalai recently.
The Tiruvannamalai Centre for Historical Research (TCHR), a district-level society formed to conduct research and document archaeological findings, had been scouting the village when they found the Chola era piece. According to TCHR Secretary S Balamurugan, "The five ft tall and three-ft wide artifact belonged to the Chola era, and was carved during the regnal years of Rajendra Chola I."
One side of the stone features a carving of Kotravai, the Goddess of war and victory. The other side features an inscription. The deity had four hands and was standing in an upright posture. It was smeared with turmeric and decorated with vermillion, indicating that it was being worshipped by the locals even today, Balamurugan said.
The findings revealed that two heads of a group of villages in Melvenadu Jeyamkonda Cholamandalam - Pengala Nagaya Madhevan and Karumanika Setti - had the Kotravai Bagavathi carving made for public worship, the TCHR secretary added.
Earlier, another Bagavathi stone carving had been unearthed in the Jawadhu Hills in the district. The TCHR has documented both carvings.