Bhubaneswar, Dec. 10 -- The British had filled the Garbhagruha (sanctum sanctorum) of the Sun Temple-famously known as the Black Pagoda-in Konark with sand between 1903 and 1909 to prevent the ageing structure from collapsing.

Now, after 122 years, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has begun the delicate process of removing that historic sand fill, renewing global curiosity about what lies inside the long-sealed chamber.

Core drilling through the sanctum wall has already touched the British-era sand layer. ASI engineers confirm that the sanctum walls are an impressive eight metres thick, a reassuring indicator that the ongoing extraction poses no structural threat.

As the operation progresses, the long-awaited possibility of all...