Recovered from the residence of a driver in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam district, the 1200-year-old sculpture of Goddess Durga is ultimately shifted to a museum for its preservation.
The ancient idol of Goddess Durga will be displaced before the public only during exhibitions as it is a shining and precious example of Kashmir's oldest culture and history.
"A nearly 1,200-year-old sculpture of Goddess Durga, which was found from the Jhelum river in Budgam is being shifted to a museum," Mushtaq Ahmad Beigh, Deputy Director Department of Archives, Archaeology, and Museums told International Business Times. He said that the museum is the ultimate destination of the ancient idol.
Sculpture depicts rich past of Kashmir
Beigh said that during research it is established that the idol was nearly 1200-year-old. It depicts the rich past of Kashmir. Carved in black stone, the 8x12 inches sized sculpture is of the Hindu Goddess seated on a throne along with four attendants.
Beigh said that during examination by experts it was revealed that the sculpture of Goddess Durga dates back roughly to the 7th-8th AD (about 1200 years old) because such culture of carving stones prevailed in the valley during that period.
He further said that the stone carving in the valley is an ancient art that has been kept alive by the people here.
The two armed Goddess Durga sculpture has two pillars on the back and a lotus and chakra in her hand. The Goddess, in the sculpture, is wearing a necklace and crown. The object material of the sculpture is a black stone, which is locally available in Kashmir.
1200-year-old black stone idol was recovered on August 31
Police had recovered a 1,200-year-old stone idol of Goddess Durga in Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on August 31, 2021
Acting on specific information, the police in Budgam recovered an ancient sculpture from the Khan Sahab area of Budgam.
The sculpture was recovered from a local who was trying to sell it before cops recovered the sculpture from his house.
Reports said that the sculpture was recovered from the house of one Nawaz Ahmad Sheikh son of Abdul Rashid Sheikh, a resident of Yarikhah Khansahab during the search. Sheikh is a driver by profession who found the idol while extracting sand from the river.
The driver was trying to sell the historical sculpture, but due to the timely intervention of the Budgam police, it was recovered and handed over to the Department of Archives, Archaeology, and Museums, Jammu and Kashmir Government.
