During the structural restoration of an 11th-century Shiva temple in Telangana’s Wanaparthy district, workers uncovered a secret stone chamber beneath the main sanctum. Inside, archaeologists discovered a cache of gold-leaf inscribed palm manuscripts that detail specific ritual procedures and the temple’s historical land endowments.
The Kalyani Chalukya-era temple, known for its intricate stone carvings, had long been neglected. This discovery has sparked renewed interest from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), as the manuscripts are believed to contain rare descriptions of medieval administrative practices and local religious traditions that were previously unrecorded in the region.