Rare statue of Gajalakshmi from Rashtrakuta period found in neglected condition in Telangana Medak

A team of activists and historians with the statue of Gajalakshmi at Yanagandla village in Kulcharam mandal of Medak district on Saturday. | Photo credit: By arrangement

Dating back to the ninth century AD of the Rashtrakuta period, a rare statue depicting Gajalakshmi was found lying in a neglected condition at Yanagandla village in Kulcharam mandal of Medak district, according to historians.

A team of heritage activists and historians in collaboration with members of the Kotha Telangana Charitra Brundam (KTCB) visited the site on Saturday to examine the statue.

A 10th century statue of Gajalakshmi found in Goa

Carved out of black granite, the statue depicts Goddess Lakshmi seated in Padmasana, holding lotus flowers in both hands while being anointed by elephants. A notable feature is the depiction of the churning of the ocean, or Samudra Manthan, involving gods and demons above the figure of Gajalakshmi. Historians have said that this is a rare phenomenon that has not been reported in either Telangana or Andhra Pradesh.

The reverse side of the statue bears another remarkable carving of Lord Shiva as the 12-armed Nataraja performing Ananda Tandava. Brahma and Vishnu are shown seated on either side of Shiva with joined hands. Historians have described the sculpture as a masterpiece of the Rashtrakuta period.

The team consisted of E. Sivanagireddy, CEO of Pleach India Foundation, Sriramoju Haragopal, Convener of KTCB, Gottipati Srinivasa Rao and A. Raghu. The team urged the villagers to protect the statue and preserve it for posterity by installing it on a plinth.

Published – 11 Oct 2026 19:41 IST