26 Jan 2008, 0130 hrs IST
Aarti
Aggarwal,TNN
LUCKNOW:
Quiet excitement is brewing in archeologists at the recent
unearthing of a very rare 1,000 years old idol of the dus-bhuja-dhari
Ravana
(ten-armed Ravana). The idol, besides numerous others, was discovered
amongst the remains of a temple complex dating back to the 11th
century
Chandela period.
The
ruins of three main temples have been discovered by the U.P. State
Archaeology Department on an island in the middle of Betwa river
near Deval
village in Jhansi. Each temple had a base made of ancient bricks
and the
complex was fortified with a boundary, the remains of which are
still
visible.
Two
main idols along with numerous smaller idols too have been unearthed
on
this island. The prized find is the idol of the dus-bhuja-dhari
Ravana
(ten-armed Ravana) picking up the Kailash Parvat with Shiv Parvarti
perched
on top. One can even see the various Asuras (demons) helping Ravana
pick up
the Kailash Parvat.
This
idol depicts the ancient saga known as Ravanugrah (Ravana par
Bhagwan
Shiva ki kripa).
The
tale goes on to say that Parvati started shivering with fright
and
beseeched Lord Shiva to recall his boon. S.K. Dubey, Assistant
Archaeology
Officer working here as a part of the U.P. State Archaeology team
informs,
This is a very rare antique idol. There is only one more of this
kind in
Ellora, though thats larger in size.
The
second prominent idol is of Maheshasur-Mardini which depicts Ma
Durga
killing the Rakshasa (demon). It shows the neck of the rakshasa
slit and a
human form emerging out of his body. The idol has been found in
a mutilated
and badly damaged condition.
There
are numerous smaller idols also. Most of these are damaged or
fragmented with only their bases left.
Treasure-seekers seem to be largely responsible for the dilapidated
condition in their search for buried valuables over the centuries.
There
is a myth that old temples and forts have cash and valuables in
the
form of gold, diamonds and other precious stones buried under
them.
There
are people who have spent their lives trying to find the khajana
but I
am yet to meet a person who has ever found anything worthwhile,
added a
member on the archaeological team.
The
archeological team did however stumble upon this invaluable treasure
in
their quest for tools used by early man during the middle Paleolithic
age,
after a few such tools were discovered recently along the Betwa.
It is then
that they chanced upon this heritage sight.
The
team feels that there should be another main idol as the complex
remains
show three temples. There is speculation regarding whether this
area was a
pilgrimage in the Chandela period.
The
main deity too is unknown. Betwa river bifurcates at this point
forming
a 5 km long island. Today the changing course of the river has
established a
land link to the hitherto water-locked island in earlier times.
The
temple complex, its spread, the location are all indicative of
an ideal
pilgrimage site.
However,
definite conclusions can be reached only after careful research,
adds Dubey. Fossil skull offers clue to origins of Chinese people
Jonathan Watts
Archaeologists
hail the biggest discovery in 80 years
Beijing:
Chinese archaeologists are hailing their biggest discovery in
almost 80 years after unearthing a skull that could provide a
clue to the
origins of a fifth of the world’s population. The fossilised
skull, named
Xuchang Man after the city where it was found, is thought to date
back
80,000 to 100,000 years, to a period that has long been a mystery
to
scientists.
It
contains a rare fossilised membrane that archaeologists hope will
reveal
important details about the nervous system of the ancients and
settle a
contentious academic debate about whether most of China’s
1.3 billion people
are mainly indigenous, descended from African migrants or intermixed.
The
almost complete skull, which comprises 16 fragments, was found
in the
central province of Henan last month. It has protruding eyebrows
and a small
forehead.
Government
officials said the importance of the find was second only to that
of Peking Man in 1929, when archaeologists discovered five almost
complete
skulls and other bones believed to date back 250,000 to 500,000
years. “It
is the greatest discovery in China after the Peking Man and Upper
Cave Man
skull fossils that were found in Beijing early last century and
will shed
light on a critical period of human evolution,” Shan Jixiang,
director of
China’s cultural heritage administration, was quoted as saying
by the China
Daily.
The
site had been of interest since the mid-1960s, when villagers
found
ancient tools while they were digging a well. But it was only
two years ago,
after the spring dried up, that the Henan cultural relics and
archaeology
research institute began excavating the area. The 17-member team
has also
found thousands of animal fossils and other artefacts.
The
skull was unearthed at a depth of five metres just as the last
two
archaeologists on the site were preparing to head home for the
lunar new
year holiday.
The
skull could fill a huge gap in the knowledge of human evolution,
he
said. Most palaeoanthropologists believe all modern humans are
descended
from people who came out of Africa about 60,000 years ago. Another
view is
that there was significant interbreeding in Europe and elsewhere
with
Neanderthals. — © Guardian Newspapers Limited, 2008
