On Tuesday, a few days after beginning restoration work on the historical Gajendra Moksha ‘kalyani’, near the Sriranganatha temple, workers engaged in removing silt from the kalyani discovered two tunnels, believed to date back to the Tipu-British era.
The Srirangapatna taluk administration on Wednesday requested the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to excavate the site.
“We have requested ASI officials to inspect the spot,” Arul Kumar, tahsildar (Srirangapatna), told The Hindu on Wednesday.
Deputy Commissioner B.N. Krishnaiah had recently instructed the taluk administration to take up restoration work on the kalyani. The tunnels, constructed with bricks and other materials, were used to supply rainwater to the pond, Mr. Kumar said.
However, the exact purpose of the tunnels would be known only after the ASI experts conducted a detailed study, he said.
Work suspended
The restoration work has been temporarily suspended.
