ELURU: A tunnel constructed with stones was unearthed in Pedda Cheruvu (Sitamma Cheruvu) of Pedavegi village, 10 km from here, on Wednesday.
Local people are of the view that the tunnel was Vengi kingdom’s remnant and it might be of 1,500 years old.
The desiltation of Pedda Cheruvu which is the main source of water to the village, was taken up under the Neeru-Chettu programme last year. The tank was desilted and filled with water. However, there was no water in it at present. Some village youths went into the dried up tank on Tuesday evening and sat on a stone in the middle of it.
As it moved, the enthusiastic youths lifted the stone and found the tunnel under it. The youths and villagers informed the matter to Government Whip Chintamaneni Prabhakar who in turn visited Pedavegi and took a close look at the tunnel.
“It is a historic one. The discovery will be informed to the archeology department,” he said. The MLA opined that the tunnel might be of the time of Vengi kings who ruled this area as Vengi as their capital.
The stone tunnel surprised most of the people. The villagers believe the tunnel might have served as the way to take water to the fort of Vengi kings.
Vengi had a fort with a bailey surrounding it. The Pedda Cheruvu, which is situated outside the fort, was the source of water to it and water would be drawn through this tunnel, the villagers felt.
Aged people living in the village stated that there was a stone-tiles masonry in the midst of the tank. Vengi, known as Pedavegi, was once the capital city of Vengi kingdom. The archeology department took up excavations in the village in 1985-87 and unearthed many sculptures and artefacts.
Some of the sculptures were sent to the Archeology Department’s headquarters at Nagpur. Some statues were kept in Shiva temple in Pedavegi. More information about it would be known when the archeology department officials begin investigation, the locals said.