The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has unearthed a Vijayanagara-era buried temple near the Hazara Rama temple in Hampi, Karnataka, and has unearthed a Vijayanagara-era buried temple housing rare elephant sculptures and brick-built shikhara.
The discovery occurred near the southern gate wall of the Hazara Rama Temple during ongoing restoration work. The buried structure measures 4.30 meters by 4.25 metres.
Visible structures include a brick-built shikhara and the top of the sanctum sanctorum. ASI officials speculate that walls more than 10 feet high may still be intact underground, pointing to an entire ancient temple that has survived centuries of burial since the fall of the Vijayanagara Empire in 1565.
The structure has been tentatively identified as a Jain temple, although further excavations will confirm this.
K. Ramakrishna Reddy, Archaeological Superintendent of ASI Hampi Department, inspected the site and assured that all the recovered sculptures will be preserved and restored.
Read also:Lessons from Hampi for the tourism sector
He said in. “This will help reopen the pages of the past glory of the Vijayanagara Empire,” said Virupakshi, general secretary, State Tour Guides Association.
ASI also announced a major modernization drive for the UNESCO-listed Ajanta and Ellora caves in Maharashtra.
The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar department, which oversees 78 monuments across eight districts in Maharashtra, has drawn up a comprehensive plan to modernize the Ajanta and Ellora caves.
In Ajanta, rock stabilization work is underway to prevent rockslides that threaten the caves’ ancient murals and sculptures.
Additional pollution-free e-buses are being deployed at a distance of four kilometers between Ajanta Tea Point and the base of the caves to ease congestion in the peak season. Road repairs and tree trimming are also being carried out along the approach.
In Ellora, dedicated police stations will be set up inside the complex to improve security, check unauthorized hawkers and remove encroachments at the Grishneshwar temple. Drinking water will be available at key visitor points at both sites. The region’s Planning and Development Committee is funding modernization work.
