KARACHI: The Sindh culture department is set to enrich its archive after half a dozen centuries-old statues were recovered during a recent campaign in Thar for the restoration of a heritage site.

The announcement came from the Endowment Fund for Trust for Preservation of the Heritage of Sindh on Friday, which said its volunteers found the statutes while restoring a temple in the desert district.

“Statues were unearthed during restoration works at the Nagarparkar City Temple by Endowment Fund for Trust for Preservation of the Heritage of Sindh,” said the brief announcement carrying pictures of all six statues.

“The temple will shortly be handed over to the Culture Department, government of Sindh, along with the statues of (sandstone and marble) Mahavira and other Tirthankaras of Janisim.”

Volunteers spotted the objects while restoring a temple

Hameed Akhund of the Endowment Fund for Trust for Preservation of the Heritage of Sindh called it a major breakthrough in the recent campaign.

“They [all six statues] were actually discovered long ago,” he said.

“We think when the war began in 1971 between India and Pakistan, someone dumped them in a cave-like space where we were doing our project. We found them in the same place. These all would be handed over to the Sindh government.”

Published in Dawn, April 10th, 2021