Cave belonging to megalithic era found in Udupi
Udupi, Apr 2: A cave found during the renovation work of Sri Anantha Padmanabha temple at Paniyadi in Udupi district recently belongs to the megalithic period, according to T Murugeshi, associate professor of ancient history and archaeology at MSRS College in Shirva.
In a statement, Murugeshi said he visited the renovation site on Thursday and found it was a rock-cut cave after examining it.
The cave belongs to 800 BC and is 2,000 years old in antiquity, he said.
Similar megalithic rock-cut caves have been found at Pavanje Subrahmanya temple, Sooda Subrahmanya temple, Sasturu Subrahmanya temple and other places in coastal Karnataka.
Murugeshi said the discovery is unique in understanding the antiquity of the Phanis.
Pani and Haadi, together forming Paniyadi, means settlement of Phanis.
Phanis were referred to in the Mahabharata and the Puranas as ancient original inhabitants of the country.
Places such as Paniyur, Paniyadi in Udupi district indicate the existence of Phanis settlements in the past.
Phanis were famous for their Naga worship while Naga was their totemic emblem.
Paniyadi's presiding deity Anantha Padbhanabha was also related with Naga worship.
Iconographically, he was Para Vasudeva, a Vaishnavate God.
He sits on the Naga coil and the Naga hood stands high on his head.
A similar icon found in Keelinje near Udupi belongs to 10th century AD, while the Paniyadi deity belongs to 14th Century AD, he said.
The Anantha Padmanabha temple belongs to Udupi Puttige Mutt and its renovation was undertaken by the mutt with the help of villagers.
While digging earth for constructing the outer wall of the temple on March 23, the cave was found eight feet below the surface to the north of the temple.
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23-year-old woman found dead at Delhi home; suicide suspected
New Delhi (PTI): A 23-year-old woman was found dead in her house in Delhi's Prem Nagar area, with police suspecting it to be a case of suicide, an official said on Tuesday.
The deceased, identified as Anjali Singh, was found motionless in her room on Monday by her sister and her neighbour.
Police said her father, Vinod Kumar Singh (51), told them that he and his wife were away at work at the time of the incident, while their son and the other daughter were also not at home at the time of the incident.
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According to the family, the room in which Anjali was found was locked from the inside. The door was later forcibly opened by a neighbour and her sister with the help of a crowbar.
Her body was found lying on the bed inside the room, police said.
Preliminary inquiry revealed that Anjali had allegedly hanged herself using a piece of cloth tied to the ceiling fan.
It is suspected that the noose eventually might have loosened or torn off, resulting in her being found lying on the bed.
Family members informed the police that Anjali was a final-year student of a librarian science course from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). About a week ago, her final-year examination results were declared, and she had failed, following which she had been under depression, they said.
The family has not raised any allegation of foul play, police said, adding that no suicide note or external injury marks were found on the body during the initial inspection.
Inquest proceedings have been initiated in the matter as per the law. The body has been sent for post-mortem examination to ascertain the exact cause of death, and further investigation is underway, police added.
