# 500-year-old Vishnu idol unearthed in Ranipet riverbed 2026-08-09T09:49:25+00:00 | Entertainment | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Residents of Puliyankannu village in Ranipet stumbled on a stone Vishnu idol while walking on the dry Palar riverbed on Saturday. The idol, two feet tall and 1.5 feet wide, is slightly damaged on the head but has its right arm with chakra intact. Local historians say it dates to the Vijayanagara era, about 500 years old, a period when the region saw many temple constructions. Revenue officials invoked the Indian Treasure Trove Act 1878, which states anything buried below one foot belongs to the government. The idol has been moved to the Walajah Taluk Office. The Arcot Site Museum has requested Collector Priya Ravichandran to allow public display, citing educational value. The head of the idol is damaged, but two arms are intact. ## Coverage - thehindu.com Tags: archaeology, Indian Treasure Trove Act, Palar riverbed, Ranipet, Vijayanagara era, Vishnu idol Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/500-year-old-vishnu-idol-unearthed-in-ranipet-riverbed/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/500-year-old-vishnu-idol-unearthed-in-ranipet-riverbed/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.