Another priceless treasure of Orissan sculptures is a group of Dikpala figures recovered from a place near Rajarani temple of Bhubaneswar while digging foundation for a building. The place was carefully excavated during the year 1967 and 14 sculptured figures including the eight Dikpolas were brought to the museum for proper preservation and display. The other pieces of the hoard include, three pieces of a decorative door jambs, one image of Ganesh and two unfinished figures of Parvati and Ganesh. The superb ornamentation at these figures is a strikingly note¬worthy achievement of the Odishan artists. On the ground of workmanship these figures may be placed around 13th century A. D. and are almost complete in form without any serious damage to their body.

The Agni Purana gives a detailed account of the iconographical features and their location in temple architecture. In Odishan temples, the figures found their respective places in accordance with the description available in the Agni Purana. Out of the eight Dikpalas, four preside over the cardinal points of the compass and these four with the rest are arranged according to a regular system. The figures on the left of the observer looking at a face represent the presiding deity forthat face.

Starting from the northern face we come across Kubera or the God of wealth with the characteristic vehicle of seven jars in the north eastern niche and Vayu or the god of winds with stag or deer as his vehicle in the north-western one. Varuna or the God of water, makara as his vehicle is noticed in the north-western niche of the western face and Nairuta with a human figure as his symbol in the South-western one. Yama or the god of the nether regions with buffalo as the vehicle is seen in the south-eastern niche of the southern face and Agni sitting on a ram is placed in the south-eastern one, Indra, or the king of the gods with an elephant or Airavat as his vehicle is seen in the southeastern niche of the eastern face, and lsana or Mahadeva with the bull as his vehicle is noticed in the north-eastern one.