Bhubaneswar, March 4: An ancient heritage site in Padampur of Baragarh district is in need of proper preservation as repair by local residents is doing more harm than good.

The Nrusinghanath temple, situated at the foothills of the Gandhamardana, 5km southeast of Paikmal and 115km from the district headquarters town of Bargarh, is a significant architectural marvel of the state.

Although a bright example of the 13th century architecture and a witness of the historical scenario of those times, the structure is slowly showing signs of degeneration. The Nrusinghanath temple is protected under the state archaeology department.

The Nrusinghanath temple, where daily worship and rituals take place throughout the year, has its presiding deity as Lord Marjarakesari, an avatar of Lord Vishnu with the head of a cat and the body of a lion.

The unusual idol of the deity is thickly covered with clothes and has a silver nose, eyes and mouth. This attracts visitors, mostly picnickers, very often to the site.

“The deity of this ancient temple is unique. The different sculptures and decorative motifs on the walls and pillars are breathtaking,” said Biplab Bhesra, a visitor.

According to records of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, the temple is associated with the Chauhan king Vajala Deva of Patna kingdom as attested by an inscription on a slab of black stone attached on the southern wall of the jagamohana. The inscription has four lines, written in Odia language and in proto-Odia script. Local residents have interesting versions about the unusual idol.

“We believe in a legend that goes around in this area. It says that Lord Vishnu appeared in the shape of a cat to kill the mouse demon Musika Daitya,” said Prashant Bhoi, a devotee.

Constructed with sandstone for most parts, the structure also has intricate slabs in black chlorite that are used for the doorjambs. The local trust that takes care of the temple has no doubt worked towards keeping the monument in a good shape, but many portions have been renovated. However, this is taking away the originality of the heritage site.

There were some repairs a few years ago by the Odisha State Archaeology, but the location of the monument is leading to dense vegetation around it and wild grasses and plants can be seen growing on many portions subsequently leading to cracks on the surface of the walls.

“We have included it in our list of monuments to be reviewed for repairs. Very soon any wild vegetation on the temple will be cleared,” said Ashwinee Satapathy, curator, state archaeology.