Sullia: Buddhist historic relics dating back to 2nd and 7th centuries were unearthed on the slopes of a hill near Jaladuraga temple, Peruvaje on Thursday here.

A Buddha’s head 12 cm in height and a flake of Bodhisatva 9 cm high, made out of soapstone were discovered as antiquities, said Prof T. Murugeshi.

The head of Buddha was assigned to 7th century AD.

The flake of Bodhisatva, due to similarities of iconography, and resembling Yaksha image in North Kanara was put at 2nd century AD, the researcher from Shirva MSRS College stated.

Two bull heads were found at the site, he added. The presiding deity in Jaladurga temple was in Linga form, suggesting that earlier it was a Buddhist shrine.

Prof Murugeshi thanked many scholars like K. Ganapathi Bhat and Chetan Ram Sullia for their assistance in field survey, in a media meet held on Thursday.