Excavation Site !!!

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a temple in Vichundrem, Sanguem, dedicated to Lord Narayandev, and dating back to the Kadamba dynasty (13th or 14th AD), now lies in ruins. Nevertheless, an occasional visitor to this "protected monument" is left awestruck by the air of magnificence that still surrounds this once-imposing structure which has immense historical and archaeological significance.

One can well imagine the grandeur of the temple complex from the splendid sculptures on the stones and the intricate carving on its laterite walls. The image of Narayandev is carved out in stone and its 'prabhavali' (halo) has the 'dashavtar' figurines representing ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu.

The excavation of the temple site was undertaken in 1992 by the state department of archives and archaeology, sources said. Mangesh Deshpande, then superintending archaeologist, had conducted extensive research on the significance of the temple. In his pursuit to literally unearth the treasure trove that lay hidden underneath terra firma, Deshpande camped at the site located in the remote uninhabited area for close to four months, and got the nearly 500 sq m of land excavated. Following the excavation, the garbhagraha (sanctum sanctorum) and the sabha mandap (hall) were clearly visible, and so was the pradakshinapath (path marked for circumambulation).

"Following the excavation, we learnt that the complex housed three temples — one dedicated to Narayandev, another to Mahishasurmardini, while the identity of the third could not be ascertained," Deshpande told STOI.

Sources said that while the sabha mandap had a thatched roof, the plinth of the Mahishasurmardini temple was found to have been constructed with heavy, well-dressed laterite bricks. Garuda, considered the vehicle of Vishnu, was found in the sabha mandap in front of the idol of Narayandev.

The brilliance of the sculptors belonging to that era is evident from the intricate patterns and figures of wild animals carved out on the laterite stones on the visible portion of the plinth.

A temple tank lying within the complex was also discovered during the excavation. Several beautifully-carved idols of various deities were also found while excavating the periphery of the tank, sources said.