Jain Tirthankara feet discovered in Telangana’s Bichkunda

Historical researcher Boggula Shankar Reddy, part of the research team, unearthed a stone foot measuring six feet in length and two and a half feet in width buried in the outskirts of Bichkunda mandal center in Kamareddy district.

Hyderabad: A significant archaeological discovery has been made by the Kotha Telangana Charitra Brundam research team, unveiling a pair of Jain feet in Bichkunda of Kamareddy district.

Historical researcher Boggula Shankar Reddy, part of the research team, unearthed a stone foot measuring six feet in length and two and a half feet in width buried in the outskirts of Bichkunda mandal center in Kamareddy district. These feet, adorned with ornaments, are being venerated by locals as belonging to a deity.

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According to the team, similar footprints to these have been discovered in various regions including the foothills behind Gollathagudi in Mahabubnagar district, Bhainsa, the premises of Kolanupaka Someswara temple, and Kandhar in Maharashtra, all identified as Jain Dharmakshetras.

Sriramoju Haragopal, Convenor of Kotha Telangana Charitra Brundam, clarified that historians have identified these feet as belonging to Jain Tirthankaras, with the ones in Bichkunda also being linked to Jainism. Furthermore, the Adhisthana Peeth of the statue of Vardhamana Mahavira, the last Tirthankara of Jainism, was discovered in the vicinity.

“These feet appear to be part of colossal idols of Jain Tirthankaras, with fragments of large sculptures visible in Kandhar’s museum” Haragopal said. Consequently, it is speculated that these feet might belong to towering sculptures akin to the Baahubali statue.