HYDERABAD: Neglected and forgotten, Jain Tirthankara sculptures and inscriptions have been discovered on two pillars of a tank sluice in Enikepalli village of Moinabad Mandal of Rangareddy district.

The two pillars, one of granite and the other of black basalt, showcase four Tirthankaras - 'Adinatha', 'Neminatha', 'Parshvanatha' and 'Vardhamana Mahavira'.

They are depicted in a seated meditation posture and adorned with 'Keerthimukhas' on the top.

The slabs bear inscriptions in Telugu-Kannada script, but their meaning remains elusive as they are firmly integrated into the masonry walls of the village tank's sluice, said archaeologist Dr E Sivanagireddy who visited the site on Sunday following information provided by heritage activist P Srinath Reddy.Based on the visible portion of an inscription, it is believed that these sculptures were originally part of a Jain basadi (monastery) located near Chilukuru, which served as a prominent Jain centre during the Rashtrakuta and Vemulawada Chalukyan periods (9th-10th centuries CE).Dr Sivanagireddy emphasised that the complete details can only be ascertained once the slabs are carefully removed from the sluice and impressions are taken.According to him, the Jain Tirthankara slabs were likely procured from a local dilapidated Jain temple and placed within the sluice approximately a century ago.Given the archaeological significance of these pillars, Dr Sivanagireddy appealed to the villagers to safeguard them by relocating them from the sluice and installing them on a pedestal, accompanied by appropriate labelling that includes historical details.