A 10th-century Shiva temple in the Bolangir district of Odisha, currently undergoing structural restoration, has yielded a rare find: Sanskrit inscriptions inlaid with silver. Discovered behind a loose granite panel in the main assembly hall (Jagamohana), the inscriptions record the royal grant of 12 villages for the maintenance of a Vedic music school attached to the temple.
The Somavamsi dynasty temple is built in the Kalinga style and features exquisite carvings of 'Alasa Kanyas' (indolent maidens) and musicians. The use of silver inlay in stone inscriptions is extremely rare in Indian epigraphy and suggests the immense wealth and patronage the temple enjoyed during the medieval period. The state's Culture Department is now planning a specialized museum at the site to house these precious metal-inscribed records.