India: Officials discover centuries-old tunnel at a children's museum in Delhi

A centuries old tunnel-like structure was accidentally discovered at a children's museum in New Delhi this week. The discovery of the tunnel, reportedly dating back to the 13th or 14th century, was made during one of the redevelopment efforts undertaken by Archeological Survey of India, the chief government authority on archaeological research and preservation of cultural-historical monuments in India.

Owing to its millennia-old rich history, the present-day India is home to the sixth largest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Officials cited by Hindustan Times said that only the opening of the arched structure is visible, and no further digging will be done. They further added that the structure will be kept intact as one of the displays at the children's museum.

"We were creating a four-metre-wide path from the front gate to the main road during which this arch-like structure emerged," Praveen Singh, superintending archaeologist, Delhi circle, Archaeological Survey of India, was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

Children's Museum in Siri Fort, New Delhi

For the children of India's national capital, the museum displays 30 replicas of popular monuments from all across India and abroad. Despite an overt infringement by the Instagram-savvy notoriety of the latest generations, the ASI has managed to keep the museum bright and historically sound with more upgrades planned in the near future.

"The museum upgradation work is going on under which more replicas will be added to the museum," Singh added.

"This was not a formal excavation site, but a chance finding. All such structures in the vicinity of Siri Fort are from the times of the Khilji dynasty that ruled Delhi during the 13th and 14th century. We have now exposed about five-six feet of the structure and will keep it as a display for the children to show how such structures are discovered during excavation," said Singh.

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Earlier, in the run-up to the museum's opening in 2011, officials had found several pottery remains presumed to be the belongings of ordinary folks working in the officialdom of 13th and 14th century rulers of present-day Delhi.

Meanwhile, the officials cited in the HT report said that they are not aware of what the tunnel-like structure leads to. But if the higher authorities approve, further excavation will reportedly be done to determine where this tunnel leads to.

The discovery of previously unknown tunnels is not new in the Indian capital.

In 2021, the capital's populace was left stunned when a secret tunnel connecting historical Red Fort with present-day Delhi Legislative Assembly building was discovered. The tunnel was used by the British after 1857 rebellion for India's independence to avoid reprisal from freedom fighters.

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