Historians urge protection of rare Gajalakshmi carving in Medak

Historians have appealed for a neglected black-granite sculpture in Telangana's Medak district to be preserved, dating it to the ninth-century Rashtrakuta period.

A heritage team examined the carving at Yanagandla village in Kulcharam mandal on Saturday. Its front depicts Lakshmi seated in the lotus position, holding flowers while elephants anoint her.

Above that figure is a scene of Samudra Manthan, the mythological churning of the ocean by gods and demons. The team said this combination was an unusual feature that had not previously been reported in Telangana or Andhra Pradesh.

The reverse depicts Shiva as a 12-armed Nataraja performing the Ananda Tandava dance. Brahma and Vishnu are seated on either side with folded hands.

The visitors included Pleach India Foundation chief executive E. Sivanagireddy and Kotha Telangana Charitra Brundam convener Sriramoju Haragopal, alongside Gottipati Srinivasa Rao and A. Raghu. They urged villagers to install the sculpture on a pedestal to protect it for future generations.