Dhar’s Saraswati is Gayatri: How 3D mapping uncovered 900-yr mix-up, true identity of goddess

A 12th-century sculpture previously identified as Saraswati has been correctly identified as Gayatri. Digital documentation and 3D mapping revealed iconographic clues missed for centuries. The absence of a veena, a common Saraswati attribute, proved crucial in this re-identification. This rare image of Gayatri, embodying Vedic wisdom, was unearthed in Dhar. The rediscovered icon now represents Madhya Pradesh’s digital heritage mission. A 12th-century sculpture previously identified as Saraswati has been correctly identified as Gayatri. Digital documentation and 3D mapping revealed iconographic clues missed for centuries. The absence of a veena, a common Saraswati attribute, proved crucial in this re-identification. This rare image of Gayatri, embodying Vedic wisdom, was unearthed in Dhar. The rediscovered icon now represents Madhya Pradesh’s digital heritage mission.