*Officials say they may belong to the 8th century Chola period * — Photo: A. Muralitharan
* RARE FIND: Some of idols found during construction work inside the Surya Amman Temple in Pammal on Thursday. *
TAMBARAM: Eleven idols were found during construction work at an ancient temple in suburban Pammal on Thursday. Officials of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department said they might belong to the 8th century Chola period.
The idols were recovered when preliminary work for building a ‘vasantha mandapam’ at the Amirthambigai Samedha Sri Arkeeswarar Surya Amman temple began on Thursday.
One of the workers who had dug about two feet to raise pillars for a mandapam realised that he had hit a piece of metal or stone, officials said.
He informed others at the temple, who came to the spot. On clearing the mud they found 11 idols one below the other.
They informed the temple trustees who called officials of the HR and CE Department.
A team of officials from the department came to the spot and measured and weighed the idols, which they said were made from ‘panchaloha’ (a mix of five metals).
They identified the idols as that of Vinayagar, Somaskandar, Amman, three Amman idols, Skandar, Manickavasagar, Gnanasambandar, Tirunavukkarasar and Sandikeswarar.
Of them, an Amman idol was the tallest, at 90 centimetres and weighed 56 kg, kilograms, while the Skandar idol was only 19-cm centimetres high and weighed one kg. kilogram.
V.Anandan, one of the hereditary trustees of the temple, said the temple was several centuries old.
They had commenced preliminary works to construct the ‘vasantha mandapam’ for performing poojas for ‘urchava moorthy’s of the presiding deities and also for conducting spiritual discourses, Mr. Anandan said.
The HR and CE officials said they would be getting an opinion from the State Government’s Department of Archaeology and the Archaeological Survey of India to establish the idols’ exact date and other related details.
The idols would continue to remain in the temple for worship.
As news about the incident spread, residents from all over Pammal thronged the temple.
there are some simple ways of refuting such dates.
Thirugnana sambandar bronze is there... !?
How come 8th Century ?
These appears to be post RRC / Rjc period.
Closer look - decorative features - nose ( a bit flat nose - influence after Rajendra's overseas expeditions wrote Kudavoil once !!) will help arrive at zeroing down the period.. and of course by comparing with established ones.