📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Itsmalay~commonswiki
Religion
1700-Year-Old Stone Slab Unearthed in Sagar Shows Birth of Lord Balarama in Three Panels
✍️ Amar Ujala · Sagar
🗓 03 Sep 2026, 01:02 PM
👁 25
Archaeologists in Sagar district have uncovered a rare 5th‑6th century stone slab depicting the mythological birth of Lord Balarama in three distinct scenes.
Archaeologists working at the Eran site in Sagar district, Madhya Pradesh, have reported the discovery of a stone slab dating to the 5th‑6th century CE, roughly 1,700 years old. The slab, carved from a single block of stone, was found during systematic excavations of the Gupta‑period settlement.
The relief on the slab is divided into three panels that illustrate the legendary birth of Lord Balarama, the elder brother of Lord Krishna. The first panel shows the divine conception, the second depicts the miraculous birth, and the third captures the infant Balarama with his characteristic plough and mace, symbols associated with his later mythic role.
Experts from the Archaeological Survey of India say the find is significant because it provides a rare visual record of a specific mythological episode from the early medieval period, a time when textual sources dominate our knowledge of religious narratives. The style of the carvings aligns with known Gupta artistic conventions, suggesting a high level of craftsmanship.
The slab will be conserved at the state museum in Bhopal, and researchers plan to study it further to understand regional variations in the portrayal of Hindu deities during the Gupta era.
The relief on the slab is divided into three panels that illustrate the legendary birth of Lord Balarama, the elder brother of Lord Krishna. The first panel shows the divine conception, the second depicts the miraculous birth, and the third captures the infant Balarama with his characteristic plough and mace, symbols associated with his later mythic role.
Experts from the Archaeological Survey of India say the find is significant because it provides a rare visual record of a specific mythological episode from the early medieval period, a time when textual sources dominate our knowledge of religious narratives. The style of the carvings aligns with known Gupta artistic conventions, suggesting a high level of craftsmanship.
The slab will be conserved at the state museum in Bhopal, and researchers plan to study it further to understand regional variations in the portrayal of Hindu deities during the Gupta era.