A hidden structural temple belonging to the Mushika dynasty, which ruled the ancient Kolathunadu region, has been identified within a sacred grove in Kasaragod. The architecture is notable for its rare Gajaprishta (elephant-back or apsidal) shikhara, made entirely of large laterite blocks reinforced with ancient iron clamps—a hallmark of early medieval North Kerala temple design.
The temple is dedicated to a local form of the goddess Bhadrakali and contains a unique granite pedestal with inscriptions in early Vatteluttu script. Historians believe this discovery confirms the Mushika kings' patronage of indigenous architectural forms that eventually influenced the broader Kerala temple style characterized by sloping timber roofs and laterite masonry.