A routine land-clearing operation in West Bengal’s Malda district has led to the unearthing of a significant 8th-century Buddhist temple complex. Preliminary analysis identifies the structure as a major center of the early Pala Dynasty, which was known for its patronage of Buddhist art and learning. The most striking feature of the discovery is a set of stucco relief panels depicting various Bodhisattvas, which show a high degree of artistic refinement and retain traces of their original pigments.
The temple architecture consists of a central cruciform shrine surrounded by several smaller votive stupas. Excavations have also recovered clay seals with Buddhist inscriptions and fragments of bronze ritual lamps. This find is expected to significantly enhance the understanding of the development of Vajrayana Buddhism in the Bengal region and its influence on the art of Southeast Asia during the medieval period.