Rare Venugopalaswamy sculpture from 12th century unearthed in Peddapalli

Uniquely, the mayura arch behind Venugopalaswamy features carved statues of Krishna’s Ashtamahishas, contrasting with the typical Dasavatars found in similar sculptures.

Hyderabad: A rare sculpture of Venugopalaswamy with Ashtamahishas has been identified in a temple at Peddapalli’s Garrepalli village in Sultanabad, by Kundarapu Sathish of the Kotha Telangana Charitra Brindam.

This 12th-century Kalyani Chalukya period sculpture showcases Venugopalaswamy holding a flute in both right hands, adorned with a ‘karanda makutam’, a ‘prabhavali’, a necklace, ‘muvvala mekhala’, ‘urudas’, ‘jayamala’, ‘kara kankanas’, and ‘pada manjiras’, standing in ‘Swatik aasana’. Niladevi and Bhudevi are depicted on his right side.

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Uniquely, the mayura arch behind Venugopalaswamy features carved statues of Krishna’s Ashtamahishas, contrasting with the typical Dasavatars found in similar sculptures.

In the same sanctum, another significant sculpture, the Yogashayanamurthy, adds to the temple’s historical importance. The findings offer a unique glimpse into the artistic excellence of the Kalyani Chalukya period, enriching the region’s historical narrative, said Sriramoju Haragopal, Convenor, Kotha Telangana Charitra Brindam.