Workers restoring a 13th-century Shiva temple in Kovilur village, Tamil Nadu, India unearthed a clay pot containing 103 gold coins beneath the sanctum sanctorum on Monday, reported the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department. “Nearly 103 gold coins from a mud pot were discovered while the construction work was going on on Monday,” said a senior Polur police official, according to PTI.
The stone-and-lime-mortar shrine, attributed to the reign of Rajaraja Chola III, showed architectural features consistent with late Chola workmanship. HR&CE officers, who are supervising the renovation, stopped further digging and alerted revenue authorities. Officials catalogued the hoard and placed it in the district treasury under the Indian Treasure Trove Act of 1878.
Initial examination by the Tamil Nadu State Archaeology Department indicated that most pieces were punch-marked coins typical of the Vijayanagara era, though some numismatists noted similarities to late Chola or early Pandya issues. Because several coins bore a pig emblem often used by Vijayanagara rulers and were largely circular—averaging about five millimeters in diameter—archaeologists leaned toward a Vijayanagara dating of roughly 600 years. To clarify the mix, the HR&CE Department formed a panel of archaeologists and numismatists to study inscriptions, minting patterns, and metallic composition.
District Collector K. Tharpagaraj, the statutory custodian of the find, asked curator S. Baskar to prepare a detailed report and indicated the cache could be moved to the district museum once analysis concluded. Police confirmed that no criminal case was filed because the discovery occurred during authorized restoration.
K. Sridharan, retired deputy director of the Tamil Nadu State Archaeology Department, offered context: “Traditionally, gold coins are minted mainly as offerings to God. Copper coins are used for trade because they are more durable, while gold can be melted. Burying coins beneath a sanctum was meant to secure divine protection and prosperity for the region,” he told the Hindu.
Residents from nearby villages, including Jamunamarathur about ten kilometers away, gathered outside the temple each evening, viewing the discovery as an auspicious sign. Heritage enthusiasts said the find renewed interest in the site’s worn carvings and inscriptions.
Further laboratory tests will analyze trace metals to pinpoint the coins’ mints and chronology. The district administration will then decide whether to keep the treasure on local display or transfer it to the state archaeology museum in Chennai.
Produced with the assistance of a news-analysis system.