Rainwater enters ASI’s ‘C’ site in Adichanallur amid delay in construction of a shelter

Rainwater seen in the trenches of the ASI’s ‘C’ site in Adichanallur after the recent showers. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Recent showers in the Srivaikuntam region resulted in rainwater entering excavated trenches and urns at the ‘C’ site of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in Adichanallur.

Although an ASI official had said last year that measures would be taken to construct a protective shelter to cover the site, work on the project has only recently begun, with installation of iron pillars to support a roof made of galvanised sheets.

For nearly two years, archaeology enthusiasts from the region have been calling for the replacement of thatched roofs with a semi-permanent structure to protect the site, which is regarded as a ‘royal site’ owing to the numerous valuable artefacts unearthed there. The much-spoken-about golden diadem was also excavated from the ‘C’ site.