Khetia (Madhya Pradesh): In a remarkable discovery, a 3-feet-tall ancient statue was unearthed in Amda village, near Pansemal, on Friday. The statue was found in a pit being dug for toilet construction for a private house in the village.
The villagers gathered at the site and the statue was seen lying on the ground in a meditation posture. Two parts were found separated. Naib tehsildar Rajaram Ranade and sub-inspector Sanjeev Patil reached the spot and confirmed that the statue belongs to the Jain community.
However, they stated that authentication from the archaeological department is required to determine which God the statue represents. The statue has been safely kept in a room of the nearby Hanuman temple with the help of the Jain community and villagers.
Deputy Sarpanch Prakash Jain of Amda village said that the statue was found in the house of Ashok Sakharam Pawar and is likely a Jain Tirthankara. Pansemal businessman Nitin Jain claimed that the statue is of the 22nd Tirthankara Neminath Maharaj and is estimated to be around 2000 years old, based on the figure carved on the pedestal. The discovery has sparked excitement among the locals and further investigation is awaited to uncover the secrets of this ancient relic.
