On Wednesday (24th April), Police informed that three metal idols, estimated to be about 400 years old, were unearthed during excavation for a house construction project in Manesar’s Mohammadpur Baghanki village.
As per reports, the idols are of Hindu deities – Lord Vishnu and Mata Lakshmi. The idol of Lord Vishnu is approximately 1.5 feet tall and it is in a standing position. The Lakshmi idol is slightly smaller at 1 foot and it is in a seated pose. Both the idols have intricate carvings and designs. The third idol depicts Vishnu and Lakshmi sitting together.
The Police added that the antique idols have been taken into possession and the owner of the site has been told to stall construction work. They stated that the Archeology Department will dig further into the site to check if there are more idols.
The police stated that the idols were found during the excavation for a new house foundation, and construction work was underway using a JCB machine. Initially, the plot owner tried to conceal the discovery and even offered money to the JCB driver to keep the information hidden. However, the driver informed the Bilaspur police two days later and a police team reached the spot, they said.
Subsequently, the Bilaspur Police handed over the idols to the Deputy Director of the Archeology Department Banani Bhattacharya, and Dr. Kush Dhebar.
The villagers consider the discovery as a sign of divine blessing. The Police stated that they wanted the idols to be handed over to the panchayat as they wanted to build a temple on the plot. But the officials of the Archeology Department refused their demand.
Bhattacharya said, “These idols are the property of the government and no one can have personal rights on these. These will be kept in the museum of the Archeology Department after study in our laboratory.”
He added that the idols were found at a depth of around 15 feet and were made of bronze.
Speaking with the Times of India, Bhattacharya said, “The idols have been transported to our laboratory for further study. The archaeology department plans to use scientific methods to determine the exact age of the statues. According to a preliminary examination, they seem to be around 400 years old. It appears someone buried them long ago. The Manesar area doesn’t have any previous findings, but we will examine the matter.”
Officials stated that they would look for inscriptions or markings that could provide clues about the statues’ origins. They also issued an appeal to the public asking them to cooperate and not disturb the site or the artifacts.
Meanwhile, according to a News 18 report, police said that Prabhu Dayal, the owner of the plot, also found a gold vessel and a cache of coins, but these have not been recovered.
Pertinent to note that the discovery of antique idols is common in Haryana, a state rich in cultural and historical heritage. It is home to several important archaeological sites, including the remains of the Indus Valley Civilization at Rakhigarhi and stone carvings in Aravalis of Faridabad.