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A century-old granite idol was found near a check dam by a group of residents of Pullar village near Vaniyambadi town in Tirupattur on the Tamil Nadu - Andhra Pradesh border.
Revenue officials said that the residents immediately alerted the local police and revenue officials, who recovered the idol, which is around 1.5 feet in height with the name of the deity and the village on its base.
Archaeologists said that the idol, which dates back to the later part of 19th century, resembles a goddess mother deity worshipped in ancient villages since the Pallavas in the 7th-8th centuries.
According to tradition, each village had a temple constructed on its outskirts where seven goddess mothers were worshipped. These deities were revered as protectors against famine, floods, war, and enemies. K. Sridharan, retired deputy director of the Tamil Nadu State Archaeology Department, explained, “Each goddess mother embodies the feminine aspects of male deities such as Lord Shiva, Vishnu, and Muruga. This ancient practice continues to be observed in many villages across Tamil Nadu.”
The unearthed idol was one such statue of the goddess mother, traditionally known as “Maheshwari,” as indicated by the inscription found at the base of the statue. However, unlike the typical seated posture associated with this deity, the discovered idol depicted the goddess in a standing position.
Revenue officials took possession of the idol and handed it over to the treasury. They mentioned that the idol could be displayed in the Vellore district museum, based on a formal request from museum authorities to the Collector, who is the sole guardian of such artefacts discovered within the district.
