Archaeologists working on the structural restoration of an 11th-century Shiva temple in Tamil Nadu's Sivagangai district have discovered a unique stone-carved map detailing a medieval irrigation system. The inscription, located on the northern wall of the inner sanctum, provides a precise topographical layout of ancient check dams, canals, and tanks that once sustained the local agrarian community during the Later-Pandya era.
The project, funded by a state heritage grant, also led to the discovery of a hidden subterranean granary located beneath the temple’s secondary mandapa. Experts believe the granary was used to store grain collected as taxes to provide relief during droughts, highlighting the temple's central role in the socio-economic life of the medieval Tamil kingdom. Conservationists are now working to preserve the fragile granary walls, which contain traces of ancient pest-resistant mineral coatings.