Dirt digging unearths heritage scoop

The digging of the stadium has become a regular feature in time for the parade, after a series of blasts occurred near the dais when the then Governor General K V Krishna Rao was taking a salute in 1995. In order to protect the stadium and its surrounding areas, almost the entire ground is dug about one-and-a-half months before Republic Day every year.

However, it is the first time that part of a structure built of ancient bricks has been found in a pit about 10 feet wide and 15 feet long. The structure revealed itself in the course of intensive digging of every inch of ground this year, with increasing threats from militants and the seizure of severalrockets fitted with solar fitted devices being targetted at the stadium.

According to a security official, in the course of digging, security forces located the existence of something solid beneath the surface. They dug about four to five feet further, and found the structure.

The security personnel had withheld the news of the excavation for security reasons, and revelaed it on Monday when the stadium was opened after its closure on December 12.

The structure has been built with ancient bricks and is plastered with what appears to be lime. A small drain plastered with the same material, measuring about six inches, is in the western end, and is about four feet deep.

Since no one, not even archaeologists of the Archaeological Survey of India are aware of the discovery, it is difficult to categorise the structure. But on the surface, it appears to be a water-related structure due to the presence of a drain in a trench.

The manager of the stadium, Ajit Singh Wazir and the staff said there could beother structures in the surrounding areas, but unearthing these would require extensive digging.

The stadium, located on the bank of the river Tawi which runs through the city, was built in the 1960s. However, the structure was not discovered then, although the earth was dug up and filled for levelling.