Varanasi, Nov. 23 -- The possession of a rare 1,200-year-old religious artefact discovered recently on the banks of the Ganga in Chaubeypur near here was transferred to the National Maritime Heritage Complex (NHMC), which is located in Gujarat's Lothal, on Saturday.

The discovery of the Ekmukhi (one-faced) Shivling, which is believed to be of the Pratihara-era and carved out of sandstone, was made by Professor Gyaneshwar Chaubey of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) on October 20. The relic will now be displayed at the Lothal museum.

Experts and dignitaries, who attended the event held to mark the transfer here, described the occasion as a historic milestone that would bring a new recognition to the cultural and archaeological heritage ...