Idol Found on Malpe Beach Sparks Debate Over Identity

In videos circulating on Instagram, devotees reportedly affiliated with ISKCON allegedly spotted the partially submerged idol at Malpe beach while touring various religious sites in the area. The footage shows the group later taking the idol back to Bengaluru.

The idol is shown holding a chakra and shankha in the upper right and left hands, while the lower right hand is in abhaya mudra and the lower left hand is shown holding a gada. Based on these features, many social media users have described him as the idol of Lord Krishna.

However, historian T Murugeshi disputed this claim, stating that the iconography more closely matches that of Vijaya, one of Lord Vishnu’s Dwarapalakas (guardians). “The iconographic features match those of Dwarapalaka rather than Krishna,” Murugeshi said. Deccan Chronicle. He added that it was too early to determine whether the idol was an antique or a new origin, and that a detailed examination was needed to determine its age.

Local residents noted that idols were occasionally found in rivers or the sea as damaged temple idols were traditionally immersed in water bodies. However, they pointed out that the Malpe idol did not appear to be damaged, raising questions about how it ended up near the shore.

Police confirmed that the incident occurred on December 21 and said that they had recorded the information of the people who took the idol from the beach.