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CHENNAI: An abandoned sculpture of Mahavira has been found inside a cave at Sundarajapuram, a village 10km from Andipatti in Theni district. It was Paranjothy Pandian, a heritage enthusiast, who first noticed the sculpture inside the cave. The 3-ft tall idol on a panel was lying neglected covered in a thick blanket of grass and bushes. Locals, however, believed it was an idol of Buddha. After clearing the surroundings, Pandian noticed that it was not Buddha, but a rare sculpture of Mahavira, the 24th and last Thirthankara of Jainism.
"I practise zen Buddhism. and am also interested in Jainism. I visited Sundararajapuram after my friends told me about the Buddha idol that was lying neglected inside a cave. When I entered the cave, I found it was an idol of Mahavira, not Buddha," he said. "The features show that the sculpture belongs to 9th century AD. It's done with great precision. It's a rare piece of art and it should be preserved," said K Ajithadoss, a Jain scholar based in Chennai. Many sculptures of Jain Thirthankaras found across Tamil Nadu are lying neglected. With initiative of the heritage enthusiasts, some are now being protected.
"We will be writing to the state archaeology department to mark the sculpture and the site. If it remains unrecorded, there are changes of vandalism," Pandian said.