JOIN USThe ASI has already discovered five important relics, all dating back to the late Hoysala era and the early Vijayanagar period. According to G S Narasimhan, superintending archaeologist, ASI, Bangalore Circle, and T M Keshava, deputy superintending archaeologist, the team has found a zoomorphic form of the lion incarnation of Vishnu/ Narasimha soap stone statuette in Karnataka sculptural art.
“The body is of a lion and the shoulder level is provided with human hands. The right hand bearing the chakra is slightly damaged, while the left hand bearing the shanka is intact. As the sculpture was found in the debris, the nature and purpose of the relic is yet to be ascertained. The relics are not part of the Mantapas, and we are still in formative stages of investigation,” said Keshava.
The ASI has also discovered a mutilated sculpture of a bull carved on a schist stone, a few Naga stones, a rectangular stone trough, and a mutilated pillar, all belonging to the Vijayanagara period.
Narasimhan said though his department was excited about carrying out excavations in the bazaar, it would, however, wait out the monsoon.
“Moreover, the debris has to be cleared and the area has to be levelled out for us to seek scientific clearance for excavations in front of the Mantapas. We are keen to carry out a comparative study of this bazaar with the bazaars in front of the Vittala, Krishna and Achyutaraya temples,” he said.