Saturday, February 19 2005 10:49 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Chennai: The offshore and onshore exploration off the famous tourist spot of Mamallapuram, 50 km from Chennai, by the Archaeoglical Survey of India (ASI) and the Indian Navy has brought to light a temple shaped structure located 100 metres north east of the present shore temple there.

Also a square structure, resembling the sanctum sanctorum of about three metres in width, had been located 120 metres north east of the shore temple, a Navy press release said.

Located in an area of ten metre diameter, the structure was covered with marine growth and the centre was found buried under the silt. Another 'L' shaped wall structure about 500 metres into the sea from the shore temple had also been located. Local fishermen claim that these structures were of five such temples believed to have been submerged underwater, the release added.

Naval Ship 'Ghorpad' along with the Eastern Naval Command diving team and ASI team, which conducted the exploration, had also recovered prominent objects of archaeological importance, the release added.

The ship had been deployed there since early this month and had carried out extensive surveys and diving in the area off Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) shoals.

The exploration would go on till March 12 and the Centre had sanctioned Rs12 lakh for the first phase of exploration, ASI sources said.

The current search operation was a follow up to the uncovering of a hitherto silted up Pallava sculpture, dating to seventh century AD, on the beachfront by the December 26 tsunami, the sources added.