Jajpur: A pair of Sri Krishna idols was recovered Saturday from the Kharasrota River near Shribantapur village in Jajpur district.
The idols have been kept in a temple of the village with its residents worshipping them on regular basis.
According to sources, a fisherman of Shribantapur had gone fishing in the Kharasrota River Saturday morning. He felt something unusual when a heavy object stuck his fishing wheel inside the water.
Thinking it was a big catch he jumped into the water and discovered an idol of Lord Krishna. Then as he looked around he spotted another idol one-and-a-half feet high close by.
On being informed, locals rushed to the spot to witness the idols made up of igneous rock. Later, they were carried to the village and kept in a protected place.
It is pertinent to mention that many valuable ancient stone-made idols were earlier found near Dashaswamedha Ghat of Baitarani River.
A priest of the Saptamatruka Temple named Bholanath Panda had gone to the banks for washing his hands after attending nature’s call.
While washing his hands, Panda felt that one of his feet was touching a smooth but stubborn object.
Out of curiosity, he lifted the object and found it to be an ancient stone-made Shivling.
Later, following a thorough search by a few others who were present nearby, the idols of Kaliya Dalana, Narasingha, Narayana, Chamunda, Krushnakali and Bhairavi were also recovered.
Similarly, a Shivling and a few ancient sculptures were unearthed March 25, 2021 from the Baitarani riverbed at Devigada Ghat of Jajpur district.
An ancient Shivling and remains of a temple had surfaced from the Baitarani River near Dasarathpur in the district a few days earlier.
A stone-made Shivling and remnants of an ancient temple were found during the lifting of sand from the riverbed by excavators engaged at a work site near Dasarathpur.
Along with the Shivling, idols of ‘Nandi’ and goddess Lakshmi made from black marble stone were then unraveled.
Jajpur district is an ancient region and there are thousands of historic sculptures and artifacts scattered all around riverbeds.
PNN
