Underground chamber found on premises of Siva temple

An underground chamber close to a twelfth-century Siva temple at nearby Villianoor was today found by workers engaged in renovation work.
The workers came across a granite slab close to the Lord Somaskandar shrine and when they removed it, they found a 15 foot deep chamber with some stepping stones leading to it, officials said.
The contractor engaged in renovation work said he got into the chamber and went ahead for a few feet and found it to be a strong structure. He could not proceed further because of the airtight nature of the basement, he said.
Officials of the Revenue, Hindu Religious Institutions and Police departments who rushed to the spot opined that the chamber could have been used as a safety vault to store valuable icons and other valuables.

The temple was constructed during the chola period and it was estimated that it was constructed in 12th century.
As soon as news spread of the chamber being found, a large number of people made a beeline to see it.
Police were deployed to prevent people from getting close to the site as it has a narrow entrance.