THANJAVUR: As many as seven ancient ring wells - three feet in diameter and lined with terracotta rings - were unearthed over the last few days during the desilting of the Karunasamy Temple Tank in Thanjavur.
Spread across five-and-a-half acres, the tank had not been in use due to damage in the inlet canal that brought water from the Vadavarur river, sources said. Though it was cleaned up in 2019, leading to resumption in water inflow, the tank’s capacity remained low due to silt. In 2020, the city corporation added the tank renovation project under the Smart City scheme, allotting Rs 2.15 crore for desilting the tank and constructing a footpath along its banks.
The ring wells were noticed when silt was being removed at a depth of about four feet. Only a portion of the tank has been desilted, and seven such wells have been found.
Tamil pundit of the Saraswathi Mahal Library Mani Maran told TNIE the ring wells may be dated back to the 10th Century CE, from the Chola period. They were built to benefit humans and cattle in summer, Mani said, adding that the total number of wells used to be in odd numbers.
Though it was cleaned up in 2019, leading to resumption in water inflow, tank’s capacity remained low due to silt. In 2020, the city corporation added the tank renovation project under the Smart City scheme, allotting Rs 2.15 crore for desilting and building a footpath along its banks.