The 2-km-long tunnel was built by Chola king Kulotunga II 887 years agoThe flooding inside the Nataraja temple in Chidambaram occurred after four decades, despite an ancient underground drainage system in place on the premises. Mr. Sivaramakrishnan, who discovered the tunnel while working at Annamalai University, said the 2,000 m underground drainage system would take water to a five-acre tank, known as Thiruparkadal. “The drainage system begins near the north gopuram. “We should keep in mind that Chidambaram temple itself was constructed on swampland and Veeranam lake was dug to prevent flooding in Chidambaram temple. Chidambaram emerged as a new town while new settlements were created around Veeranam,” Mr. Sivaramakrishnan, who has done extensive study on the Chidambaram temple, said.

Source: The Hindu December 05, 2020 19:02 UTC