Sati Stone And Nandi Idols Of Arasinakere In Mysuru

Sati Stone And Nandi Idols have been found in Mysore. Let us know more about this excavation.

Giant face to face idols of Nandi (sacred bull) and a Sati stone has been found at Arasinakere in Jayapura Hobli of Mysuru Taluk.  According to experts, these idols date back to Hoysala rulers, who ruled Karnataka between 10^th and 14^th centuries. The Nandi idol is engraved in the Hoysala style.  The Arasinakere village is located 20 kilometres south to the Mysuru city. 

Sati Stone And Nand Idols – Excavation

These idols were found when the locals were digging a pond for the irrigational purposes recently. Initially, only the upper parts of the statues were found to the villagers. As they developed curiosity, they started excavation and brought an earth mover.

It took nearly four days for them to remove the mud around these idols. After finding these statues they alerted the officials in the Department of Archaeology.   Now the Archaeology department has undertaken a study.

Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, scion of Mysuru royal family visited the area to verify the idols and to study its historical importance attached to them and archaeological values.

Members of Mysuru Heritage Committee and other conversationalists accompanied him. Heritage expert and Member for Mysuru chapter of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) Professor N S Rangaraju says that statues must have submerged in the lake over 50 years ago.

This team has also found a Sati stone – sculptures erected in the memory of a woman who martyred themselves under a Peepal tree. In Sati system, a widow used to sacrifice herself along with her deceased husband’s funeral pyre.

Inscription on the Arasinakere, Sati stone says that three women had immolated themselves after losing their husbands.  Rangaraju has found signs of Hoysala regime which was in rule during the 12^th or 13^th century on the stone.

Sati Stone And Nandi Idols And The Wadiyar Connection  

Villagers say that, after hearing a story about the submerged temple, Jayachamaraja Wadiyar of the Mysuru royal family visited the spot to offer the pooja. But the temple was under the water.

Even after weeks of relentless work villagers were unable to remove the water. Thus Jayachamaraja Wadiyar offered prayers and pooja to the water as he thought that his prayers will reach the Nandi statue.

Sati Stone And Nandi Idols – Overview

The statue has been carved out of the metamorphic rock, which is mainly found in Mysuru and Hassan districts. Soon the government will take these statues into its custody.  

The Nandi statues appear to be from the 16^th or 17^th century. These statues are carved in a single rock but are incomplete. Though two statues are placed face to face they are not identical in size.

Prof Rangaraju and Yaduveer urged the villagers not to offer vermilion and kumkum to the statue as these chemicals might deface the ancient sculptures.

The Department of Archaeology has decided to take up more excavations to find out historical idols buried under the earth. According to the villagers over 12 idols of various deities found in the area and as they are in a defaced manner, they are not able to identify them.

Also See

• Wodeyar Kings
• Kannada Inscriptions of Bangalore – Tracing History One Stone At A Time
• Banavasi – The First Capital of Karnataka
• History of Karnataka