8th century Tirthankara Mahavira idols found in Dhilki
During the levelling of a field in Dhilki village near Chopta in Sirsa, Haryana, murtis of the 8th-century Tirthankara Mahavira were discovered. The Archaeological Department indicates that many Jain people lived in the region stretching from Sirsa to Rajasthan. It is possible that these murtis were created and eventually buried under the ground over time.
Farmer Purnmal Budania was getting his fields levelled in Dhilki village, Rajasthan, adjacent to the Sirsa border. Meanwhile, when the tractor driver was levelling the land, he heard the sound of some stones hitting each other. When he removed the soil, he found two statues of Lord Mahavir.
One of these statues was big, and the other was small. Both the statues in Padmasana are made of marble. A coin is visible in one of their hands. Other expressions have been engraved around the main statue.
Purnmal Budaniya said that he was levelling the land for ploughing in his field when these murtis were found. He informed the district administration in Nohar, Rajasthan, and the operators of the Jain temple located in Nohar. Both murtis have been kept safely.
Villager Roopram Meel said that about 15 years ago, a well made of old bricks was found in the village. Earthen pots from old times have also been found on a ghat near the village.
The murtis found are of Jain Tirthankara Mahavir. A mark on his chest proves that this murti belongs to the eighth century. Many such remains were found in the Sirsa district earlier as well. Many remains related to Jainism were also found in Rania. Bunani Bhattacharya, Deputy Director, Archaeology Department, Panchkula.
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