The restoration of a forgotten 10th-century Shiva temple in the Bundelkhand region has led to the discovery of precise solar-alignment geometry within the temple's mandapa. Architects found that during the spring equinox, the sun's rays pass through three distinct stone apertures to illuminate the central lingam exactly at sunrise.
This 'Surya-Tilak' mechanism indicates a sophisticated understanding of astronomy and shadow-casting by Chandela-era architects. The temple, which had been overtaken by vegetation for centuries, is now being hailed as a masterpiece of medieval Indian engineering and astronomical architecture.