Two idols of Jain Tirthankaras, claimed to be over 2,000 years old, were found while digging a tank in Parmarwali ‘gali’ of Chotila (India). The discovery has sent a wave of excitement through the Jain community in the area and large number of religious heads, community leaders and members have converged to take a glimpse of the idols.
     "While digging a pit for water, we hit some stone and when we removed the mud covering it, we were amazed to see two white idols," says Jayshreeba Parmar, near whose house the idols were recovered. The religious head of the nearby Mahavirpuram, Acharya Punyoday Maharaj, upon inspecting the idols, said, "The idols resemble sculptures that are at least 2,200 years old and are of Sambhavnath and Shantinath tirthankaras." Such sculpture was normally the style of the Maurya dynasty, he added. "We can’t say how old these idols are until we study them," said an official of the archaeology department.

Source: The Times of India (16 September 2003)