Adhanur (Thanjavur District, Tamil Nadu), September 25, 2012: A one-and-a-half foot tall headless Jain idol has been found on the banks of a tank near Perramanar Ayyanar temple in Adhanur near Thiruvaiyaru.
The idol was found during the field work carried out by Prof Kannadasan of Mannargudi Rajagopalaswamy government arts college, Mr Thillai Govindarajan, headmaster of Ponthiyakulam primary school, Mr Arunachalam and Mr Umamahesaran, based on the information given by Mr Arangasamy.
The idol has a height of 46 cm and is 37 cm wide, and is in a sitting posture. During the field study Mr Kumar, Mr Ravi, Mr Sakthi and Mr Aruthanambi helped the research study team.
In the temple next to where the idol was found, the presiding deity is known as Peramanar Ayyanar. This might have been the Jain term equivalent to Brahma Satthan.
Later it was known as Peramanar. From the remnants of brick works found nearby, it is learnt that these deities might have been worshipped through centuries, Mr Kannadasan and Mr Thillai Govindarajan said.
Sendalai is about 4 km from here. From the inscription found in Sendalai, there is reference to Aramba Nandhi, which refers to a Jain.
There is also a reference about a lake known as Virasikamanipereri in the inscription, Govindarajan said. – News Courtesy: Deccan Chronicle