12th Century Idol of Lord Gopalakrishna Unearthed During Excavation on Areca Farm in Belthangady Taluk
MANGALURU/BENGALURU:
Archaeologists have made an exciting discovery in Belthangady taluk of Dakshina Kannada district. They have found temple ruins dating back 700 years at Thekkaru Batrabailu. On Monday, a 12th-century stone idol of Lord Gopalakrishna, along with the Panipeetha and foundation stones, were unearthed on government land that had previously been encroached upon.
These significant archaeological remains were discovered at a depth of 15 feet during the Prashnavali (Prashne Chinthana). The original Gopalakrishna temple is believed to have been destroyed by Tipu Sultan many centuries ago. Recently, the land was reclaimed with the help of the local MLA and subsequently excavated. As a result, the villagers have decided to construct a grand temple at this site.
Initially, while excavating the areca farm, several archaeological ruins and stone idols of deities were found in various locations. Among them was a stone idol of God Gopalakrishna, estimated to be from the 12th century, which was discovered on land owned by a Muslim man.
Local residents had always spoken of the existence of ancient temples in the area. Furthermore, it was rumored that Lord Krishna appeared in the dreams of Lakshmana, a landowner from Bengaluru who owned property near Thekkaru, and hinted at the presence of a temple at this site.
Inspired by this revelation, the villagers established the Gopalakrishna Temple Trust and began searching for the temple ruins. However, their efforts were hindered by the lack of precise information regarding the temple’s location. Years later, a Bengaluru-based individual named Lakshmana purchased land near Thekkaru. During the Prashnavali, the villagers received a clue about
After conducting a thorough examination of the land records, with the invaluable assistance of Belthangady MLA Harish Poonja, a survey was carried out. The survey revealed that 25 cents of the land, previously under the possession of Hamad Bava, where he had cultivated areca, was actually government-owned. Consequently, the government has taken control of the land and a formal request has been submitted to the Deputy Commissioner, urging them to allocate the land to the Gopalakrishna Temple Trust for the purpose of constructing a temple.
In response to this request, the Deputy Commissioner has duly reserved the land for the construction of the temple, under the jurisdiction of the Religious Endowment Department. It is worth noting that Hamad Bava has sold approximately 75 cents of land to the temple trust, specifically for the purpose of building the temple.
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