Tamil Nadu: During a temple renovation in Kancheepuram, locals found ancient gold buried under steps.

The Lord Shiva temple was undergoing renovation when some locals stumbled upon the gold items. After checking it was revealed that the items weighed about 565 grams. When the official authorities got information about this, they seized all the gold and deposited it with the Government.

The temple priests and other local people did not want to give away the gold. They believed it would be best to place it back at the finding spot again after completing the renovation process. The authorities brought police personnel to stop the locals.

The authorities seized all the gold, sealed it and took it away. While the police were blocking the locals, they shared their disappointment saying the officials had no right of taking away the gold, as it was found underneath the temple, it was the temple's property.

Revenue Divisional Officer Vidya shared that the findings sure look like gold, verifying the information. There was no confirmation as to the form of gold. Complete assessment will be carried out later.

Uthiramerur near Kancheepuram is a town popular for its temple. The Lord Shiva temple is believed to be from the Chole era.