Iconography suggests that it belonged to the 10th century

A Badrakali idol, about a 1,000 years old, was unearthed at Ravikulam village near Palani on Sunday. A team of archaeological enthusiasts found it from an irrigation channel.

The team head, V. Narayanamurthy, said the idol in sitting posture appeared to be made of granite. The face of the idol, carved in a single stone, was partially damaged. The goddess pressed a demon under her left leg and kept her right leg on the peetam . The asura wore a crown and held a sword in his hand.

An aesthetically decorated jwaala crown adorned the head of the goddess. She held a sword in one hand, skull in another hand and other weapons like a shield, bell, mazhu and a gatha in other hands.

The chiselling style and iconography suggested that the one-metre-tall idol belonged to the 10th century, he added.