Panchaloha idol of lord shiva recovered

HYDERABAD: A 200-year-old Panchaloha idol of Lord Shiva in the form of Chandrasekhara Murthy was found at Tipparti in Nalgonda district.The idol, which was confiscated by the police from treasure hunters a few days ago, was handed over by the court to the director of department of archaeology and museums on Thursday.According to the director Prof P Chenna Reddy, the 30 cm high idol weighs 2.545 kilos and represents the inconographical features of 18th Century AD.Standing in ‘samapada sthanaka’, the idol holds ‘Parasu’ and a deer in the upper hands and ‘Abhaya and Varada’ mudras in the original hands. The idol bears all the ornaments and stands on a ‘Padmapitha’.After treating it with chemicals, the bronze idol will be kept on display at the YSR Andhra Pradesh State Museum at Public Gardens in the city for public view.Of late, several incidents of treasure hunting were reported from the state.Officials said that though such incidents are on the rise, there are no evidence of any person finding any treasures.In this case, the panchaloha idol of Lord Shiva was seized from treasure hunters who found it near a temple in Nalgonda.