Gold and silver ornaments found at Hampi

Restoration work of an ancient temple at Hampi, the medieval capital of the erstwhile Vijaynagar empire in Karnataka, has yielded a rich haul of gold and silver ornaments.

Workers employed by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) for restoration of the ancient Vishnu Temple stumbled upon a gold chain, studded with precious stones, gold ear-rings and anklets, besides a wide variety of silver ornaments including waistbands on Thursday. The workers also found a total of 37 gold coins from the temple site.

According to officials, the gold chain bears pearls and opals, besides other precious stones. The two long gold ear-rings recovered from the site had red stones embedded in them. But, officials are yet to determine whether the stones are rubies. Four square-shaped beads had also been found.

Among the silver ornaments were six anklets, two of which were small in size. Though silver ornaments had turned black with prolonged exposure to earth underground, the gold ornaments had not lost their sheen, officials pointed out.

The ASI, which has been engaged in restoration work at Hampi for the last two years, had unearthed various types of metals and idols. It is for the first time that gold and silver ornaments in substantial quantity had been found.

With Hampi declared as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO, officials opine the discovery of gold and silver ornaments will help throw further light on the historical site. Excavation of the site would yield enough historical evidence to add more chapters to the history of Hampi, which was the capital of the erstwhile Vijaynagar empire of the fourteenth century.