Bhopal: Two rare ancient sculptures from Madhya Pradesh have been selected for display at the upcoming Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum in New Delhi, which is being developed as part of the Central Vista project, as per media reports.
The selected artefacts include a 4th-century sculpture of Lord Kartikeya from Bhopal and a 10th–11th-century depiction of Yajna Varaha from Vidisha.
The Lord Kartikeya sculpture, preserved at the State Museum in Bhopal, belongs to the Gupta period. It was excavated at Gajendra Ghat in Mandsaur. The two-armed figure is shown standing, holding a rooster in its left hand. The sculpture was earlier displayed at an international exhibition in Brussels in 2013.
The Yajna Varaha sculpture, made of sandstone, is preserved at the District Archaeological Museum in Vidisha. It was recovered from the Kewatan river near Sonari village. In 2023, it was exhibited in Mumbai as part of an international exhibition featuring ancient sculptures from India and other countries.
As per media reports, the Madhya Pradesh government has approved lending both sculptures to the museum following a proposal from the Union Ministry of Culture.
A team of experts from Delhi is expected to visit the state to assess arrangements for their safe transportation. The duration of their display at the museum has not yet been decided.
