The Governor of Maharashtra Ch. Vidyasagar Rao recently decided to search for a tunnel below the Raj Bhavan in Mumbai, as legend had it that the building held a few secrets. Raj Bhavan at Walkeshwar was the summer residence of British governors until 1885, when it became the permanent residence. An 1868 map of the building has no mention of anything underground, neither do histories of Raj Bhavan. A part of the British-era bunker found under Raj Bhavan in Mumbai. Photo: Vivek Bendre
The gubernatorial residence finally gave up its secret: a 150-metre passageway and a structure resembling a bunker. The chamber is believed to be a bunker — a protected space in times of war — that also stored ammunition. A part of the British-era bunker found under Raj Bhavan in Mumbai. Photo: Vivek Bendre
The eroded sand covers of Vizag beaches uncover a secret that very few people are aware of. These are the remnants of World War II - the solid structures of vintage pill boxes or bunkers that were hidden beneath the sands for decades. Two such bunkers can now be seen in the Visakhapatnam beach. One of the World War-II pill box at R.K. Beach in Visakhapatnam. Photo: K.R. Deepak
The pillboxes, or bunkers, are squat concrete fortifications used as a network of defence by the British and were strung out in lines across the coast to resist invasions during the Second World War. According to researchers, most of them were constructed around 1938-1941. One of the World War-II pill box at R.K. Beach in Visakhapatnam. Photo: K.R. Deepak
In 2011, a treasure trove of gold, diamonds and precious stones — unofficially estimated at hundreds of crores of rupees — was unearthed from an ante-chamber to one of the six vaults in Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in in Thiruvananthapuram. The treasures unearthed gained the temple national and international recognition and led to more searches around the premises. The picture shows the temple in 1940. Photo: The Hindu Photo Archives
In 2015, secret pathway from Sreepadam Pond leading to Sreepadam Palace, adjacent to Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala, was discovered. The pathway is akin to an entrance with stairs leading down to a bathing spot, was found. Officials had also found a sack with explosives submerged in the slush. Photo: S. Gopakumar
