2 Shivlings found in riverbed near Sancoale khazan

Panaji: Two Shivlings carved from stone — one 5cm in diameter, the other about 12 — emerged from the exposed riverbed near khazan lands at Sancoale on Wednesday.

“During low tide, the surface of the riverbed was exposed. That’s when the Shivlings were visible,” said the director of archaeology, Nilesh Faldesai, who visited the site soon after being alerted by the local police.

A Shivling, also known as Lingam, is a symbolic representation of Lord Shiva. The two Shivlings were first noticed by an employee of a service centre who informed the local police.

“The Shivlings were carefully retrieved and taken to the department for further examination, where they are now undergoing a preliminary analysis and carbon dating,” he said.

The carbon dating and material analysis will enable the archaeologists to determine the approximate age of the Shivlings, their composition, and possibly even the region from which the stone was sourced.

Faldesai said two plausible theories are currently being explored. “One is that these were ancient statues that may have been immersed long ago,” he told TOI. “The second theory is that, according to Hindu customs, when a Shivling becomes old or damaged, it is often respectfully immersed in a natural water body before a new one is consecrated in its place. It’s possible these statues were part of such a religious practice.”