GADAG : A historical Surya (Sun) idol dating back to the 12th century with three faces was spotted at Betageri of Gadag district. Earlier, the residents of Gargipet in Betageri thought that the idol was of Lord Brahma and worshipped it. Recently, a team of researchers who were studying about Brahma and Surya statues, visited Betageri and found that this is a rare idol of the Sun god with three heads depicting the morning, noon and evening faces.
This sculpture is made of black mixed blue stone. The Sun god is depicted in a standing position, has four hands and holds a lotus bud. A tall crown is carved on the head. There are garlands on the neck, bhujakirti (shoulder ornaments) and signs of girdle are visible on the waist. The researchers said that the depiction of the Sun god with three faces represents the principle of Martanda Bhairava or Surya-Narayana (the union of Sun, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva) in Indian iconography.
Bheem Benahal, a researcher from Betageri, said, “It is interesting to know that there is a rare Surya idol near our house. More research should be carried out to learn about our history and the information should be passed to the coming generations.”
Dr Shwetha Bhasme, a history researcher from Betageri said, “The Puranas describe the morning sun as Brahma, the afternoon sun as Maheshwara (Shiva) and the evening sun as Vishnu. These three faces represent the union of these three powers. It is also a symbol of the past, present and future. Traditionally, these are likely to be Sun god’s consorts Usha and Pratyusha. A simple semicircular halo frame is also carved on the back of the idol. There is also a protruding hinge at the base of the sculpture.”
