A routine land-leveling operation in a village near Sangli, Maharashtra, has unearthed the remains of a 9th-century Jain Basadi (temple) from the Rashtrakuta period. The basalt stone structure is remarkably well-preserved, featuring a pillared hall (mandapa) with carvings of the 24 Tirthankaras. The discovery is being hailed as a major addition to the religious heritage of the Deccan region.
What sets this discovery apart is a series of Maritime-Trade inscriptions found on the base of the main pedestal. These records mention donations made by a guild of seafaring merchants who traded between the Konkan coast and the Persian Gulf, providing evidence of the inland reach of global trade during the medieval period. The state archaeology department has already begun the process of documenting the site for national protection.