Archeological Survey of India unearths 1100-year-old Shiv linga in Vietnam; Jaishankar calls it 'civilisational connect'

Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has recently discovered a 9th-century era monolithic sandstone Shiv Ling during their on-going conservation project in the Cham Temple Complex, Vietnam. 

The Shiva Ling was excavated at Mỹ Sơn in Quang Nam province of Vietnam. After the Shiva Linga was unearthed, India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar called it  “a great cultural example of India’s development partnership”. He even lauded India and Vietnam's "civilisational connect". 

Vietnam's Cham Temple is part of the UNESCO world heritage site. According to reports, the temple was built during the reign of King Indravarman II, a ruler of the Khmer Empire.

According to HT's report, a four-member team from the ASI has restored temples in two separate groups at the complex and is now working on the third group of temples. and an official told the HT that six other Shiv Ling's were also found in the Mỹ Sơn temple complex. 

Earlier, Carvings on sandstone and a Shivling have been found during the land levelling work at Ram Janmabhoomi here, said Champat Rai, General Secretary of the Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirth Kshetra Trust.

"Debris is being removed and land being levelled at Ram Janmabhoomi since past 10 days. We have discovered pillars in the debris of the structure and carvings on sandstone. Found a Shivling there and a similar one at Kuber Teela," Champat Rai said.