During the ongoing restoration of a 12th-century Shiva temple in Chhattisgarh’s Bilaspur district, workers discovered a unique stone-carved astrolabe embedded in the ceiling of the maha-mandapa. This instrument, designed to track the movement of the sun and stars, was likely used by temple priests to determine the exact 'muhurta' or auspicious timing for Vedic rituals. The device features concentric circles and Sanskrit inscriptions that detail various astronomical constants.
Architects from the ASI have noted that the temple itself was designed as a giant sundial, with the astrolabe serving as the master calibration tool. This finding reinforces the theory that medieval Indian temples were not just places of worship but also centers of scientific observation. The restoration project is now focusing on restoring the device to its original functional state to demonstrate ancient Indian timekeeping methods to visitors and scholars.