Jaina Antiquities at Rayagada District

Rayagada district is located between 19⁰ 0' and 19⁰ 58' north latitude and 82⁰ 5' and 84⁰ 2' east longitude in the southern part of Odisha. It is bounded by Gajapati district in the east, Koraput and Kalahandi districts in the west, Kalahandi and Phulabani districts in the north and Koraput and Srikakulam (Andhra Pradesh) districts in the south. The district as a separate administrative unit of Odisha created in 1992 from the erstwhile Koraput district. The district is known for its primitive tribal groups filled with meadows, forests, perennial streams and terraced valleys. The scenic beauty and heritage on the land is an unexplored paradise. According to the local tradition, the name Rayagada has been derived from the word ‘Raya’ means rock, ‘gadda’ means deep holes, which signifies deep holes in the rocks. There is a large and substantial mud fort built by one of the Rajas of Jeypore from which the name of the town probably derived^[1].

Seven metal Jaina idols are found by chance discovery from Biripada village under Muniguda tehsil near Ambadola in the month of July, 2015 (Pls.XCIIA-XCIIIC). Some youth from the village Biripada were digging abandoned ditch for edible roots along the bank of the river Banshadhara and stumbled upon these metal idols^[2]. One of them is identified as Parsvanatha because of his seven hooded snake canopy. The others are difficult to identify without the lanchana. A faint impression of an inscription found inscribed in one of the idols. These idols are now shifted to Odisha State Museum, Bhubaneswar for further archaeological investigations. The site is filled with bricks and potsherds mostly of red ware and black ware