Ancient sculptures of 10-15th centuries unearthed in Telangana’s Sugur village

Among the findings is a distinctive Panditagallu sculpture from the 10th and 11th centuries, portraying a scholarly figure seated in Shaiva Tantric yogasana.

Hyderabad: In a significant archaeological revelation, ancient sculptures dating back to 10th to 15th centuries, have been discovered at Patigadda in the village of Sugur in Pebbair, Wanaparthy.

The findings were done by members of Kotha Telangana Charitra Brundam, Byroju Chandrasekhar and Byroju Shyamsundar. Among the findings is a distinctive Panditagallu sculpture from the 10th and 11th centuries, portraying a scholarly figure seated in Shaiva Tantric yogasana.

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Clad in royal attire, the figure holds a ‘Gantam’ in one hand and a book in the other, symbolizing intellectual pursuits of the time. This Panditagallu sculpture stands out due to its unique characteristics not seen in previous discoveries, enriching the understanding of ancient scholarly traditions in Suguru, said Sriramoju Haragopal, convener of Kotha Telangana Charitra Brundam.

Another significant discovery is a rare 15th century sculpture depicting a woman engaged in self-immolation. The sculpture shows her seated in Padmasana with hands in Anjali Mudra, wearing a crown made of rudraksha beads, and adorned with additional beads on her shoulders and forearms. Notably, she is depicted with a Shivalinga atop her head.

Previously, similar sculptures depicting female self-immolation were found by historians in Kanchari Malyala and Pandilla of Siddipet district. However, the sculpture from Sugur differs significantly from these earlier examples.