The villagers of Badoanka under Balakati GP of Aul block while engaged in pond digging work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS) on Wednesday stumbled across an ancient Buddha idol and an old-time well.
After the discovery of the well and the Buddha image, the villagers stopped the digging work even as hundreds of curious onlookers gathered at the quarry sites.
The ancient well was found after digging about 30 feet. Soon later, the workers unearthed the Buddha idol, which is in a standing posture.
locals believe that earlier there was a temple on the site and the findings are the remnants of the temple. The idol of Buddha was taken to the village temple for worship.
locals demand that the State Archeology Department (SAD) visit the place and try to explore many other hidden ancient items. When contacted, District Tourism Officer Bijay Kumar Mohanty said he would visit the site.