2016-08-31 Wed

Dr Prakash Kothari, a Padma Shri awardee, and Founder, professor and Head of the Department of Sexual Medicine at Seth G.S. Medical College and KEM Hospital in Mumbai, found a seal featuring a two-handed Ganesha with a halo behind his head on one side and an image of Nandi and a Brahmi inscription ‘Jagesvara’ on the other. He found the seal at Chor Bazar A few years ago and recently discovered the inscriptions on them. The seal is 20 mm in diameter, 5 mm in thickness and weighs around 2.89 grams.

After the seal was analysed by experts like Dr. Shrinivas Ritti, professor, Ancient History and Epigraphy at Karnataka University, Dharwad; Dr O.P.L. Srinivastava, registering officer, Antiquities and Art Treasures, Department of Culture, Allahabad and Prashant P. Kulkarni, president of the Indian Coin Society, it was found out that the seal dated back to the 4th-5th century AD or is even older.

This makes it the oldest Ganesha idol to exist today, the first one to be discovered in China in 531 AD.