Vijayawada: A 16th Century Nandi idol was found at Neppali village under Kankipadu mandal in Krishna district. The idol was found in the course of restoration works conducted at old Sivalayam at the village two months ago.

The idol was depicting the Vijayanagara style of art with ornamentation carved on the body. The locals, who participated in the restoration works of the temple, preserved the idol and installed it in the temple.

The Nandi idols used to be installed in the Siva temples facing the Linga outside the sanctum sanctorum. After examining the sculpture, archaeologists opined that the Nandi idol might be the one that was installed in the temple when it was constructed. Previously, villagers had immersed some dilapidated idols of the temple in the river.

They have come to this conclusion as the locals immersed some of the main idols from the temple in Krishna river after the temple was dilapidated.

According to archaeologist and Cultural Centre of Vijayawada and Amaravati CEO Emani Sivanagi Reddy, who visited the temple, the Nandi idol was part of a temple built by Srikrishna Devaraya in 1518 AD. He said the Vijayanagara ruler got the temple built when he visited the Srikakulam temple.

He said the ornamentation on Nandi idol — a necklace of rattles, and bells on the body — depicts the typical style of Vijayanagara style.