GUWAHATI, June 17 � The State�s Directorate of Archaeology has stumbled upon a number of invaluable antiquities in Jambari area near Bamunigaon under Chaygaon Revenue Circle of Kamrup district. According to sources in the Directorate, the antique items were recovered by the people of the Jambari area from Chandrapur on the western bank of the Khorkhori River, a south bank tributary of the Brahmaputra.
According to the sources, the clue was provided by the report of a discovery of a brass image of Vishnu in Jambari village led to the visit of the site by Directorate's Deputy Director (Administration) Deepirekha Kouli, Deputy Director (Exploration and Excavation) Ranjana Sarma and Exploration Officer Chabina Hassan and other staff.
The Vishnu image was discovered by Krishna Kalita in the river and it was later seized by the Officer-in-Charge of Chaygaon Police Station. Later on the State Directorate of Museums collected the image, said the Archaeology Directorate sources.
The Archaeology Directorate was told by the local people that some other valuable items were available with them. These include the broken terracotta circular plaque with the depiction of the divine couple of the Chaturbhuja Vishnu and Lakshmi, a tumbler made of brass and a metallic image of Vishnu, among others.
The Archaeology Directorate team collected the terracotta plaque from Ram Das and the tumbler from Joykanta Das, for safe custody. The members of team requested the local people to hand over the other image of Vishnu, which is now being worshipped by them in the Shyamrai Gossain Naamghar in the Duramari village on the eastern bank of the Khorkhori River, under Goroimari Revenue Circle, said the sources.
According to Archaeology Director Dr HN Dutta, the objects� location inside the course of the river may also be attributed to the tradition of the State�s people of immersing the religious objects in rivers.
The prompt action of the Officer-in-Charge of the Chaygaon Police Station in the form of seizing the Vishnu idol from the people has also been lauded by Dr Dutta.
