New Delhi, May 20 -- The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) discovered a buried Vijayanagara-era temple near the Hazara Rama Temple in Hampi, Karnataka, unearthing a buried Vijayanagara-era temple featuring rare elephant sculptures and a brick-built shikhara.

The discovery occurred near the southern gate wall of the Hazara Rama Temple during ongoing restoration work. The buried structure measures 4.30metres by 4.25metres.

The visible structures include a brick-built shikhara and the top of a sanctum sanctorum. ASI officials speculate walls over 10feet high may still be intact underground, pointing to an entire ancient temple that survived centuries of burial since the fall of the Vijayanagara empire in 1565.

The structure has been te...