[Extract …] In the August of 2017, images of a peculiar ancient building preserved on a remote, forested plateau in eastern Telangana, near the hamlet of Kothur (Kottūru), Jayashankar Bhupalapally District, were uploaded on a social media platform by a journalist from Hyderabad.1 The locality is known as Dëvuniguṭṭa, ‘God’s hill’ (18°06'54.6"N, 80°02'13.3"E). To the best of our knowledge, this temple has not previously been documented, although the local population has been using it for worship at least in recent years. Considering its relatively good state of preservation and its many special features, it is puzzling why no one should have reported or studied it yet. This outstanding edifice proves to be a veritable archive of the visual culture in this particular region during ca. 6th century CE. Such a date in this part of India suggests that the temple would have been built within the orbit of the Viṣṇu-kuṇḍin dynasty. Its unique architecture provides a missing link between early timber structures and the Dråviḍa tradition.

• 1. The first photos were taken by Sheikh Sadiq Ali, Hyderabad, while the person who shared the images with a large group of people was Aravind Arya Pakide, a very active young heritage enthusiast from Hanamkonda. The latter has since assisted several col- leagues, including us, in their journeys to the temple, and he is keeping up contact with the local population, too. We wish to express our gratitude to him.