Three 400-year-old bronze idols depicting Hindu deities Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi were unearthed during routine construction excavation in Baghanki village near Manesar, Haryana. The idols, initially concealed by the plot owner, were later handed over to the Archaeology Department, suspending construction for further examination.

Credit: MagadhXBT/X

The statues, discovered at a depth of approximately 15 feet, include a standing idol of Lord Vishnu measuring about 1.5 feet, a seated idol of Goddess Lakshmi standing at 1 foot tall, and a joint idol depicting both deities together.

Upon notification, authorities from the Archaeology Department, including Deputy Director Banani Bhattacharya and Dr. Kush Dhebar, took possession of the idols.

Despite villagers’ desires to construct a temple on the plot and requests for ownership, the department ᴀsserted that the idols are government property and will be preserved in their museum after laboratory analysis.

Further excavation will be conducted to explore the possibility of additional artifacts buried beneath the site. Preliminary examinations suggest the idols to be around 400 years old, indicating their historical significance in a region with a rich cultural heritage.