VIJAYAWADA: The presence of a rare sculpture of Lord Ganesh in fighting posture is noticed at the famous Chennakesava temple of Macherla town in Palnadu district.
Archaeologist and CEO of Pleach India Foundation, E Sivanagireddy, said he did a thorough survey of the town as part of an awareness programme, ‘Preserve Heritage for Posterity’ on Sunday and noticed the presence of an unusual Ganesa sculpture. It was seen on the central part of the Rangamandapa pillar.
The panel carries a narrative of Durasadavadha (killing of devil Durasada), in which Ganesa kills the devil after a tough fight as is mentioned in Ganesa Purana. Unlike the Ganesa images generally seen seated in Lalitasana, this Ganesa image holding Parasu (battle axe), Ankusa (goad) in two Hans and fighting the devil with another two hands is standing in Alidhasana, the only one-of-its-kind posture, he said.
He also said two more similar and contemporary sculptures of Ganesh engaged in killing the devil Durasada were found at the Pachchala Someswara temple in Pangal in Nalgonda district and the Rama temple in Sattenapalli in Palnadu district. These, he said, were of the 12th Century AD.
Reddy added that Mandali Buddhaprasad, former deputy speaker, also came and took note of the rare Ganesa sculpture.
He appealed to the temple authorities to arrange a legend board inside the temple complex with iconographic and historical details. Pandit Bejjanki Jagannadhacharyulu, Pavuluri Satishbabu(historian) and Chennupati Srinivasachary, a sculptor from Durgi, participated in the awareness programme.
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