A four-foot stone idol of Lord Vishnu was unearthed from a pond in Karipalayam near Marakkanam in Villupuram district, on Tuesday.
According to official sources, the pond was being desilted under the Kudimaramathu scheme. An earthmover was engaged for scooping out the sand, when it hit an object and stopped. When the workers cleared the sand they found a four-foot-tall stone idol of Lord Vishnu.
The workers immediately alerted the Revenue Department and the site was cordoned off. The idol, with a straight posture, was found with one hand broken.
The pond where the stone idol was found is located close to the Angalamman temple in the village.
“The idol is believed to be several hundred years old and its provenance would be known only after examination by experts,” an official said.
