Ongoing restoration efforts at a dilapidated 11th-century temple in Tiruvallur have led to the discovery of a rare Imperial Chola era bronze Sudarshana Chakra hidden within the hollow cavity of a stone spire. The temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu, is undergoing a major conservation project aimed at restoring its original granite façade and ornate friezes. The bronze artifact is remarkably well-preserved and features intricate inscriptions in the Grantha script.
The discovery was made when conservationists were reinforcing the structural integrity of the Vimana (temple tower). The inscriptions on the chakra detail a royal grant made by a Chola general for the maintenance of the temple's perpetual lamps. This find underscores the strategic importance of this rural shrine in the religious and political landscape of the Chola Empire's northern frontiers.