Archaeologists working in the dense deciduous forests of Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh, have unearthed a previously unrecorded structural temple belonging to the Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty. The site features a unique "step-temple" design, where the main sanctum is reached via a series of descending stone terraces, a layout rarely seen in central Indian architecture of this period.
The temple is dedicated to the goddess Varahi, one of the Sapta-Matrikas (Seven Mothers). Excavators discovered a near-intact monolithic sculpture of the boar-headed goddess within the garbhagriha, along with several friezes depicting rural life and early medieval floral motifs. The discovery provides critical insights into the expansion of Pratihara influence into the tribal hinterlands of central India.