Rare sculpture of ‘Sasta Roopa Ayyappa’ goes missing in Jangaon

Jangaon: Much to the shock and dismay of archaeology enthusiasts in the State, a rare sculpture of ‘Sasta Roopa Ayyappa’, also known as ‘Ayya’ or ‘Ayyanar’, has gone missing from Ayyalakada on the outskirts of Yellamla village near Jangaon town recently. This rare sculpture of Lord Ayyappa was an earlier form of the present Ayyappa […]

Jangaon: Much to the shock and dismay of archaeology enthusiasts in the State, a rare sculpture of ‘Sasta Roopa Ayyappa’, also known as ‘Ayya’ or ‘Ayyanar’, has gone missing from Ayyalakada on the outskirts of Yellamla village near Jangaon town recently.

This rare sculpture of Lord Ayyappa was an earlier form of the present Ayyappa idol being worshipped at Sabarimala in Kerala, according to archaeology and history researcher R Rathnakar Reddy.

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“I first visited this site 10 years ago and found the sculpture engraved on a boulder. And there was an arch with pillars which resembled a temple. Initially, I thought the sculpture was of a Yaksha and did not give due attention to it at that time. But when I posted photos and videos on social media, noted researchers confirmed it as the sculpture of Sasta Roopa Ayyappa, which is a very rare finding,” Rathnakar Reddy told ‘Telangana Today’.

After learning about the importance of this sculpture, Rathnakar Reddy visited the place a couple of times recently, but to his dismay the sculpture was missing.

“The villagers are saying it was there before the Covid-19 pandemic, but now it is not seen,” Reddy said, adding that the sculpture dated back to the 8th century CE. “This sculpture is an indication that the culture of Tamil Nadu and Kerala was also there in Telangana during the 8th century,” he said.

“People used to perform pujas at this temple located in Survey No: 373 in the village. The meaning of Ayyappa (Ayya Appa) is protector, lord, ruler and teacher,” he said, adding that Ayyappa was also known as Ayyanar in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
“In the sculpture found at the Yellamla village, Ayyappa is seen in nude form with attractive muscles and chest,” he said, pointing out that even the name of the village was Yeallamalai or Yellamala.

“Malai means mountain or hillock,” he said.
“Dr Ajit Kumar, noted archaeologist and Founder Head, Department of Archaeology, University of Kerala, also mentioned about the Sasta Roopa Ayyappa in his research papers and books,” Rathnakar Reddy said.

“K Krishna Raj, officer in charge of the Pazhassi Raja Archaeological Museum, Kozhikode, and one more archaeologist from Tamil Nadu also authenticated that the sculpture found at Yellamla was that of rare Sasta Roopa Ayyappa,” Rathnakar Reddy said, adding that authorities must make efforts to locate the missing idol.
“It could have been buried or stolen,” he said.