Nestled in Odisha’s Kendujhar district, the Sitabhinji site unveils a window into India’s ancient artistry. This 4th–6th-century treasure features a faded yet vivid tempera mural, one of India’s earliest. The mural graces a rock-cut ledge, depicting a king’s procession with horses, an elephant, and attendants in five vibrant colors, captivating art lovers and historians.
The mural’s Sanskrit inscription, etched near a horse, hints at a mid-1st-millennium Hindu monument adorned with colorful Shaiva decorations. Nearby, early Odiya and Sanskrit inscriptions, pre-6th-century, mention a lost Shaiva monastery, a guru, his student, and a temple, whispering tales of spiritual life.
Late 20th-century excavations uncovered a Gupta-era temple’s remnants, a small stone elephant, and a faced Shiva Linga (mukhalinga). These 6th-century artifacts, alongside untranslated inscription fragments, fuel archaeological intrigue about the unknown mysterious Hindu king.
Sitabhinji’s rock-cut wonders and ancient scripts offer a mesmerizing glimpse into Odisha’s rich heritage, blending art, faith, and history in timeless stone.
Location: India, 21.51253° N, 85.77673° E
- Southeast of Kendujhar (Keonjhar)
- near National Highway 20
 Road to Sitabinji |
 Sitabinji site |
 Sitabinji fresco |
 Inscription |
 Mukhalinga and stone elephant |
 Inscription |
Site is also known as / synonyms:
- Ravanachhaya Mural Rocks
- Rabanchaya site
- Sitabhinji archaeological site
- Sitabinji painting
- Sitabinji mural
Nearby historic sites:
- Kichakeswari temple, Khiching (60 kilometers)
Sources and Further Reading:
- T. N. Ramachandran (1951), Find of Tempera Painting in Sītābhiñji, District Keoñjhār, Orissa, Artibus Asiae, Volume 14, Number 1/2, pp. 4-25
- A Joshi (1965), Antiquities of Sitabhinji, The Orissa Historical Research Journal. XIII (2), pp. 21–27
- M. Somathilake (2007), Further Analysis on Fresco and Tempera: An Analysis of the Technique of Murals in South Asia, Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka New Series, Vol. 53, pp. 109-132
