'Sheshshayi Vishnu' sculpture found in Maharashtra's Sindkhed Raja town: ASI official
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (PTI): An intricate and detailed 'Sheshshayi Vishnu' sculpture has been found during excavation work carried out by the ASI in Sindkhed Raja town in Maharashtra's Buldhana district, an official said on Sunday.
It was found at a depth of 2.25 metres when a team of experts, during the conservation work of Lakhuji Jadhavrao's Chhatri, spotted some stone alignments and then reached a temple base on further digging, Superintendent Archaeologist of Nagpur Circle Arun Malik told PTI.
"After the sabha mandap was exposed, we decided to check the depth of the temple, during which we found a sculpture of goddess Laxmi. Later, a huge sculpture of Sheshshayi Vishnu in its entirety was revealed. It is 1.70 metres in length and 1 metre in height. The width of the sculpture's base, which is yet to be exposed, may be 30 centimetres," Malik informed.
"It is made up of a chlorite schist rock. Such sculptures were carved in south India (Hoysalas). It is of Vishnu reclining on Shesha Naga and goddess Laxmi massaging his feet while sitting on a cushion. Samudramanthana is depicted in this sculpture and jewels of Samudramanthana like Ashwa, Airavat are also seen on the panel," he said.
The detailed and meticulously carved panel showing Dashavatara, Samudramanthana and Lord Vishnu reclining is the peculiarity of this sculpture, he added.
Iconography expert Saili Palande-Datar said the rock is schist stone, which is soft as compared to locally found basalt rock.
"Such sculptures were found in Marathwada earlier but they were in basalt rock. The sculpture of the donor couple (between Sheshnaag and Samudramanthan) is also carved prominently on this panel, which is its peculiarity. In the future, when an art museum is established in Maharashtra, this sculpture will be one of its masterpieces," she said.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
