A routine restoration project at a 12th-century Late Chola temple in Pudukkottai, Tamil Nadu, has led to a sensational discovery. While removing a heavy granite slab in the Artha Mandapa, workers found a hidden subterranean chamber containing seven pristine bronze idols, including a rare depiction of Nataraja and the goddess Shivagami. These icons are believed to have been hidden during the 14th-century invasions to protect them from plunder.
The idols, crafted with the hallmark precision of the Chola period, have been handed over to the state museum for chemical cleaning and documentation. Local historians suggest that the chamber might contain further inscriptions detailing the names of the donors who commissioned these sacred objects. This find is expected to provide new insights into the socio-religious life of the late medieval Tamil region.