The ongoing restoration of an ancient site in Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh, has led to the discovery of a rare 2nd-century BCE Shunga dynasty brick temple. While reinforcing the base, experts uncovered a hidden 'ivory-sealed' votive pit containing early Brahmi-inscribed seals and silver punch-marked coins, marking it as one of the oldest structural Hindu shrines in central India.
The conservation team, led by the Archaeological Survey of India, noted that the temple layout exhibits an early form of the 'Gajaprishta' or elephant-back design. This finding is expected to reshape the understanding of the transition from timber to masonry architecture in sacred Indian construction during the post-Mauryan era.