After the discovery of the presence of a cluster of temples and the possibility of the lost civilization under the Gevad valley on the banks of Ramganga river in Almora, the archaeologists have prepared a plan to start digging up the region.
Dr. Chandra Singh Chauhan, regional state archaeological officer, told Indian media that they have recently discovered multiple small 'devasthanams' (small temples) measuring one to two feet in height.
Spread over 10 km along Ramganga, the area consists of flat land that has numerous temples that date back to the 9th and 10th centuries built by Katyuri rulers, Manoj Saxena, superintending archaeologist of the Dehradun circle, told Indian media.
Last month, a rare huge Shivling of 1.2 meters in height and about 2 feet in diameter was found at Chaukhutia in Uttarakhand's Almora district, and is said to have belonged to one of the temples by Katyuri rulers and dates back to the 9th century.
During the 1990s, the Department of Ancient Indian History, Culture, and Archaeology at Garhwal University conducted a survey that unveiled a 9th-century Vakratundeshvar (Ganesh) temple and seven other temples of Nath Sampraday in the area. This discovery confirmed the existence of human habitation, Dr. Chauhan said.
Following the successful survey results, archaeologists are now undertaking advanced research to delve deeper into the valley in the Chaukhutia region, and have prepared a proposal for excavation.