Pauri Garhwal, March 28 -- Antique idols believed to be centuries old have been unearthed at Kimoli-Chilauli village in the Kaljikhal block of Pauri Garhwal district, officials aware of the development said. The idols were discovered during the ongoing restoration of a traditional natural water spring in the village. Workers engaged in digging at the spring site stumbled upon the sculptures buried beneath the ground, prompting villagers to alert the authorities. Village chief Hemanti Devi said several artefacts surfaced during excavation work carried out over the past few days. "Initially we thought them to be ordinary artefacts, but after cleaning them it became clear that they were idols of deities. Senior citizens and local artisans in the village believe they could be nearly a century old. We immediately informed the archaeology department, which has now taken custody of the idols," she said. Officials said the idols recovered from the site include a sculpture of Ganesha and a Shivalinga accompanied by Nag Devta motifs. An archaeological team reached the village after receiving information and has taken possession of the artefacts for further examination. Anirudh Bisht, in-charge of the regional archaeological office, said the idols appear to be ancient but their exact age will be determined after scientific analysis. "As soon as we received information about the idols being found during restoration work, a team was sent to the site. The idols appear old, but the exact era will be confirmed after carbon dating and other archaeological processes," Bisht said. District magistrate Swati S Bhadauriya said the artefacts are being conserved by the archaeology department. She added that the idols may later be displayed at a heritage museum being developed near the district collectorate in Pauri....