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Restoration of 12th-Century 'Pala' Dynasty Temple in West Bengal Uncovers Hidden Copper-Plate Charters

📅 April 11, 2026 📰 Kolkata Archaeology Review
Restoration of 12th-Century 'Pala' Dynasty Temple in West Bengal Uncovers Hidden Copper-Plate Charters

During a major structural restoration of a 12th-century brick temple in the Malda district, workers discovered a sealed stone box containing three copper-plate charters from the late Pala era. These inscriptions, written in Siddhamatrika script, detail the grant of several villages to the temple's maintenance fund by a previously unknown local chieftain. The discovery provides rare economic data regarding the feudal administration of the Bengal region during the transition to the Sena period.

Experts at the Kolkata Archaeology Review state that the plates also mention a 'Vedic school' attached to the temple, highlighting the site's role as a center for higher learning. The temple itself, primarily known for its ornate terracotta panels, is undergoing a phased conservation project to protect it from monsoon-related waterlogging and structural subsidence.

Original source: Kolkata Archaeology Review