Ancient Lord Vishnu Idol Resembling Ayodhya's 'Ram Lalla' Statue Found in Karnataka | Details

An ancient idol of Lord Vishnu, which features all his ten incarnations, was recently discovered in Karnataka’s Raichur and has sparked enthusiasm among the devotees. Archaeologists believe that the idol belonged to the 11th or 12th Century AD.

According to PTI, the idol, which showcases the ‘dashavatara,’ is remarkable as its features resemble the recently consecrated Ram Lalla statue in the newly built Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

The Lord Vishnu statue was discovered near the Krishna river, in the Raichur district, along with an ancient Shivalinga, reported the agency.

“This idol must have adored the sanctum sanctorum of a temple and must have been dropped in the river at the time of possible destruction of the temple,” Dr Padmaja Desai, a lecturer in ancient history and archaeology at Raichur University told the news agency.

Features of Lord Vishnu ‘Dashavatara’ Idol

Desai also described the special idol’s features and said that Lord Vishnu is depicted as having four arms, with his two upper hands holding the ‘shankha’ and ‘chakra’.

“The two lower hands are placed in the position of granting boons (‘kati hasta’ and ‘varada hasta’)”, said Desai.

The lecturer also stated that the idol resembled Venkateshwara as described in the Vedas. However, the idol found in Raichur lacks Garuda, a characteristic typically seen in Vishnu idols. Rather, a pair of women holding fans is seen.

“Since Vishnu is fond of decoration, this idol showing a smiling Vishnu is adorned with garlands and ornaments,” she added.

The idol is believed to be from the reigns of Queen Rudramma Devi and Srikrishna Devaraya.

What Historians Say About Lord Vishnu Idol

Historians estimate that the idols of Vishnu and Ishwara Linga found in the river Krishna are from the 12th to 15th century, and the idols found now are from the reign of Queen Rudramma Devi and Srikrishna Devaraya. Thus, historians have estimated that the idols found in the Krishna river may be the idols installed by Krishnadevaraya at that time.

During his reign, the king of Vijayanagara, Srikrishna Devaraya, defeated the Adil Shahis of Vijayapur and re-expanded the Vijayanagara empire. Before this, the Adilshahis had usurped the kingdom from the father of Srikrishna Devaraya.

Later, his father told Srikrishna Devaraya to defeat the Adilshahis of Vijayapur and regain Raichur. According to his father, Sri Krishnadevaraya recaptured Raichur in 1275 after defeating the Adil Shahis.

Also, the reason why these idols were found in the river may be the attack of the royal families or if the original idol of the sanctum of any temple was broken, it was left in the water. But he said that this idol found in the Krishna river has the characteristics of a statue.

Social Media Reacts to ‘Dashavatara’ Idol

The discovery of Lord Vishnu’s idol triggered a series of reactions from several social media users who are calling the statue’s resemblance with Ayodhya’s Ram Lalla idol astonishing.

“Centuries-old idol of Lord Vishnu has been recovered from the Krishna river at a village in Karnataka’s Raichur. The similarity with the Lord Ram idol at Ayodhya Ram Mandir is just astonishing! Both idols show the incarnations of Lord Vishnu in a drastically similar way,” one of the users wrote on X.

“The discovery of a centuries-old Lord Vishnu idol and a Shiva Linga in the Krishna River during the construction of a bridge in Raichur‘s Shakti Nagar is an incredible find,” said another enthusiastic user.