The team discovered that four temples existed. During excavations, many artefacts from the Gupta era were also discovered, including pottery, bone, shell, ivory objects and coins.
The stone pillar, 22 feet high, is of special interest. It is surmounted by the figure of two garudas, sitting back to back, and resting on lotus petals.
According to Mani, the pillar with the garudas is similar to the Ashoka pillar of the Mauryan dynasty (321 to 185 BC) with its four lions sitting back to back. Sarnath, where the Ashoka pillar is located, is around 100 km from Lathiya, says Mani.
In Bhitari, another site in the same district, an inscribed Gupta pillar stands near a temple. Near the pillar is a stone block with an image of garuda. "The garuda once stood on top of the pillar but had toppled over," said the archaeologist.
"The garuda was the state symbol of the Guptas and was an embodiment of the power of the state. The garuda was the royal insignia of the Gupta dynasty," said Mani.
Even the four temples, discovered through ghost walls, at Lathiya are of typical Gupta period design, he said.
