In a significant find for Indian heritage, a team of independent researchers has identified the ruins of a 9th-century Jain temple belonging to the Rashtrakuta dynasty in the Solapur district of Maharashtra. The temple is notable for its rare 'Ashtamatrika' (Eight Mothers) panels found in the transition hall, which unusually depict the goddesses alongside Jain Tirthankara figures, suggesting a period of intense cultural syncretism between Jainism and local folk traditions.
The structure is built from local basalt and features a heavily carved basement (adhisthana) with motifs of elephants and floral scrolls. Local authorities are now working with the state archaeology department to initiate a formal excavation and conservation plan to protect the site from encroachment and environmental degradation. This discovery expands the known footprint of Rashtrakuta influence in southern Maharashtra and highlights the religious diversity of the era.