HISTORY, LEGENDS & MYTHOLOGY

Chhattisgarh Archaeologists find 1500 years old temple

     Sirpur (Chhattisgarh): Archaeologists have unearthed a 1,500-year-old ancient floor during excavation at an ancient temple in Chhattisgarh. The discovery of the basement floor at the 6th century Laxman temple in Sirpur has pushed back the temple's history by about 150 years. The Laxman temple at Sirpur, located on the banks of the holy Mahanadi river and about 80 km from Raipur, is a major tourist destination. Archaeologists said the ancient floor was discovered after they started renovations to the temple's foundation to drain out water logging. They feared that the seepage could lead to cracks in the ancient temple. Excavations revealed that the basement floor, believed to be six feet deep, was actually eight feet deep. "We informed our area headquarters in Raipur and they came with the archaeologists team and did a study. And they discovered a floor underneath. And we were asked to stop the drainage work. So, we cleared the debris and started excavating and in this process we unearthed a floor underneath it," said Y.P. Thakur, archaeologist. Thakur added that they have also found brick layers, which the curators were now studying. Laxman Temple, completed in 650 AD, is the first temple in the country to have been built with bricks. The temple, named after the brother of Hindu god-king Ram, bears unique pattern, exquisite carvings and precise construction with terrific symmetry.
-Oct 15, 2004    

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