During the structural stabilization of a neglected 10th-century Gurjara-Pratihara temple in Rajasthan's Pali district, workers discovered a rare inscribed copper Kalash (sacred finial) hidden within a hollow cavity of the temple's shikhara. The artifact is inscribed in Kutila script, detailing the name of the local chieftain who commissioned the temple and the specific date of its consecration in 942 CE.
This find is exceptionally rare, as most metal temple finials were lost to looting or oxidation over the centuries. The inscription also mentions a grant of several villages to the temple's maintenance, providing historians with vital data on the socio-economic structure of 10th-century Marwar. The Rajasthan State Archives are currently deciphering the full text to map the lineage of the mentioned donors.