During the structural restoration of the 10th-century Shiva temple at Thirunelli in Kerala's Wayanad district, workers discovered a concealed stone chamber beneath the sanctum sanctorum. The vault contained hundreds of well-preserved palm-leaf manuscripts written in ancient Vatteluttu script.
Initial assessments by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) suggest these texts contain Ayurvedic medical treatises and records of land grants provided by the Later-Chera kings. The discovery is being hailed as a major milestone for understanding the socio-economic fabric of medieval Kerala.