A chance discovery during land leveling in Odisha’s Jajpur district has led to the unearthing of an 8th-century temple foundation belonging to the Bhauma-Kara Dynasty. The site is notable for a set of rare Ashta-Matrika (eight mother goddesses) panels carved from fine-grained chlorite stone, which exhibit the distinct early Kalinga artistic style.
Archaeologists believe this temple was a center for Shakti worship and may have been part of a larger monastic network that flourished along the Baitarani river. The excavation has also yielded several terracotta lamps and ritualistic pottery shards, indicating that the site was a bustling pilgrimage center before being buried under river silt during a historical flood. The state heritage department has taken over the site for formal preservation.