Over a hundred ancient gold coins were discovered during renovation work at a centuries-old temple near the Javvadu hills in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvannamalai district, police said on Tuesday.
According to officials, a total of 103 gold coins were found inside a mud pot during renovation of the sanctum sanctorum of the Sivan temple in Kovilur village on November 3.
A senior officer from the Polur Police Station said, “Nearly 103 gold coins from a mud pot were discovered while construction work was going on on Monday.”
The temple, located near the Javvadu hills, is believed to date back several centuries and is thought to have been built during the reign of the Chola king Rajaraja Cholan III.
Police said that workers found the pot while digging inside the sanctum area and immediately alerted the authorities. Officials from the Revenue Department and the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department later arrived at the site to take possession of the coins and begin an investigation into their origin and historical significance.
“We have not registered any case in this matter. The officials of the HR and CE Department will trace the history of the gold coins,” the police official added.
