Sullia: Centuries Old Buddhist Relics Found Near Jaladurga Temple

Media Release

Sullia, Apr 6: In a new discovery, Buddhist relics dating back to 7th and 2nd centuries have been found on the slopes of a small hill near Shri Jaladurga Temple, Peruvaje here.

Speaking to the media in a press conference,  Prof T Murugeshi, department of ancient history and archaeology, MSRS College, Shirva said that among the antiquities that were found the most interesting was a Buddha head 12 cm in height and a flake of Bodisatva face about 9 cm in height, 9 cm in width and made out of soft soap stone.

The face of the Buddha head is totally destroyed. It had longish ears and small ushnisha over the head which helped them to identify the image as Buddha head, assignable to the 7th century AD.

In the flake of Bodisatva face, the lower portion of an ear on the right side, right eye intact and opened, eyeball shown very prominently within the deep and broad eye cup, a small part of left eye can be visible. It has two-cm long nose with broad nostrils and thick smiling lips. From nose to chin it is two cm in length. This very clearly indicates that the image was proportionately carved. Facial expression, eyes and nose resemble that of Yaksha image of Igunda in North Kanara which belongs to the Satavahana period. On the basis of iconographical similarity it can be dated to the 2nd century AD.

Two bull heads, two headless torsos of bulls and one bull with the head and another human leg were also found at the site.

The original source of these antiquities is not known. The presiding deity is now worshipped in linga form at the Jaladurga temple.

The discovery points to the notion whether Jaladurga temple was a Buddhist temple in the olden days, which may have been converted into Hindu temple.

Prof Murugeshi thanked K Ganapati Bhat, MGM College retired principal, Ravindra Shetty Kuttetturu, Chetan Ram Sullia , Roshan,  Prashanth Shetty, lecturer in Archaeology, S M S College Brahmavar for their assistance in field survey.