HYDERABAD: A rare ninth-century sculpture of Jain Tirthankara Parshvanatha—described by experts as the first of its kind ever discovered in Telangana—has been identified in Chand village of Adilabad district, shedding fresh light on the region’s forgotten Jain heritage.
The headless sandstone sculpture was identified by Prithviraj Roddawar, a research member of the Kotha Telangana Charitra Brundam (KTCB), during a field survey conducted with researchers Raj Kamble and Katturi Subhash. The sculpture was found among several neglected and broken artefacts scattered across the village.
What makes the discovery exceptional is its rare iconographic composition, according to the experts. Speaking to the TNIE, KTCB members said, “The central figure of Parshvanatha is depicted seated in ardha-padmasana (half-lotus posture), with a serpent coiled behind the body. Flanking the main figure are two Jain Tirthankaras in the kayotsarga posture, symbolising deep meditation. The pedestal features a Dharmachakra carved between two lions, while serpent-canopied Jain deities Dharanendra and Padmavati are sculpted on either side. Further out, male and female devotees — Shravaka and Shravika — are shown with folded hands in reverence.”
According to KTCB convener Sriramoju Haragopal, the sculptural style dates the idol to the ninth century CE. He said the composition closely resembles rare Parshvanatha sculptures discovered at Rajgir in Bihar, now preserved in the Indian Museum, and at Erandol in Maharashtra. He also noted that the depiction of the Dharmachakra on the pedestal is described in the Jain iconographic treatise Jain Rupamandana.
Haragopal explained that the presence of the Dharmachakra could easily lead to the sculpture being mistaken for an image of the Buddha. However, he pointed out that Buddha images featuring the Dharmachakra typically depict the Buddha in the Dharmachakra Pravartana Mudra and wearing a monastic robe (sanghati).The absence of these defining Buddhist features confirms that the sculpture represents Parshvanatha rather than the Buddha.
Archaeologist and sculptural expert Dr Emani Siva Nagireddy, CEO of Pleach India Foundation, described the discovery as unprecedented. He said no sculpture with these iconographic characteristics has ever been reported from Telangana, making it an exceptionally rare addition to the state’s archaeological record.
Researchers also documented another damaged sculpture at the site depicting an elephant performing abhisheka above three Jain Tirthankaras arranged in two rows. Based on descriptions in Jain Rupamandana, the team believes the fragment may also have belonged to another Parshvanatha sculpture. Earlier explorations by Roddawar in Chand led to the identification of a damaged sculpture of Kunthunatha, the 17th Jain Tirthankara.
The repeated discovery of Jain icons, researchers said, provides strong evidence that Chand was once home to a Jain basadi (temple or monastery) and may have served as an important Jain religious centre in the Deccan during the early medieval period. Researchers said the latest discovery underscores the urgent need to document, conserve and protect the neglected heritage scattered across rural Telangana before more such invaluable relics are lost.