Conservationists working on the 10th-century Rashtrakuta Sun Temple in rural Maharashtra have discovered a hidden network of subterranean galleries located directly beneath the main sanctum. These chambers were designed with precision-cut narrow shafts that allow a single beam of sunlight to travel through the floor during the Equinoxes, illuminating a secondary granite altar.
The discovery highlights the advanced astronomical and structural engineering practiced by Rashtrakuta architects. Scholars believe these hidden halls were used for esoteric Sanatan rituals related to the solar calendar and the study of celestial transitions.