It is an ancient Buddhist archaeological site featuring remains of a Buddhist monastery (vihāra). The site was first noticed in the early 1970s by a local teacher, Brajabandhu Das, after he found a stone slab with an image of Gautama Buddha in bhūmisparśa (earth-touching) mudrā. Systematic excavations were conducted by the Odisha State Archaeology department between 1971 and 1975. Based on recovered materials and structural remains, the site dates roughly to the 9th–10th century CE, though some research suggests Buddhist activity here may be older. The unearthed remains represent a Buddhist monastery with: 12 cells for monks (three on each cardinal direction), arranged around a large open courtyard. A shrine chamber and spaces interpreted as meditation halls (chaitya) and other ancillary structures. The courtyard’s layout reportedly forms a swastika-like pattern when seen from above, a symbolic form in ancient Buddhist architecture.