In a rare archaeological find, a three-headed sculpture of Lord Vishnu, which dates to the ninth century, was found in the Jhelum River during the extraction of sand in South Kashmir's Pulwama district, officials said on March 30.
The sculpture was recovered by some labourers and was handed over to officials at Kakapura police station, they said.
After completing legal formalities, the sculpture was handed over to the Directorate of Archives, Archaeology and Museums, Jammu and Kashmir.
The finely carved and well-dressed sculpture demonstrates clearly the sculptural style in use at Avantipora during the ninth century AD, the officials said.
The sculpture is now housed in SPS Museum, Srinagar, for further studies, they said.