Kendrapara (Odisha): Ruins of a nearly 150-year old temple have surfaced during digging for the Haridaspur-Paradip rail line project at Bhuinpura in Kendrapara district.
Labourers stumbled upon the summit structure (Dadhi Nauti) of the place of worship during earth digging work at the village coming under Bagada gram panchayat, District Culture Officer Golakh Chandra Behera said today.
The archaeologists of state archaeology department have inspected the site. The administration is yet to receive the report of their findings, he said.
The curator of state archaeology department S K Badu, however, said “we visited the site where the remnants of a Hindu temple were discovered. The department is examining the remains to ascertain its antique character. However our preliminary view is that the temple must be over 150-year-old.”
The village where the chance discovery was made is situated in close periphery of the Luna river and it has a history of causing recurring flood. Thus there is possibility that the temple might have been destroyed by nature-induced devastation, he said.
Side by side with Hinduism, Buddhism flourished in large areas of Kendrapara under Bhaumakar dynasty. There is every possibility that Buddhist treasures might be discovered from the spot. There are plenty of instances in these areas where Hindus worshipped Buddhist divinities, claimed historian Harischandra Prusti.
