Nine panchaloha idols unearthed at temple in Athur

Nine 'panchaloha' idols, believed to be dating back to the 15th century, were unearthed from an underground secret cell at a temple near Athur in Salem district, during digging work, police said.
Workers, who were involved in digging work to install an idol of Lord Hanuman at a Perumal temple in Navalkurichi, stumbled on the underground secret cell, they said.
As the labourers dug further, they found nine 'panchaloha' (made of five metals) idols of different deities, reportedly dating back to 15th or 16th century.
The idols, standing one foot to three-foot tall, have been handed over to the Archaeological Department, police said.