Some people looking for gold and silver coins at the Hampi World Heritage Site pulled down a Vijayanagar-era structure on Saturday night.
The treasure hunters pulled down the Gali Gopura Mandap, which stood on the right side of the Malyavanthi Temple. They believed that gold and silver coins lay buried under one of the four pillars of the mandap and tried to lift a pillar by digging around it. This led to the collapse of the structure as the roof of the mandap rested on the pillars.
The police, who rushed to the site, found a few agricultural implements and a jack in the debris.
Tourism Minister Anand Singh, who is in charge of the district, visited the spot and directed Archeological Survey of India officials to rebuild the mandap. He asked the officials to keep the damaged materials from the old mandap in a museum.
The Minister also asked Superintendent of Police Chandragupta to arrest the miscreants. Kamalapur police have registered an FIR under the Ancient Monuments Act.
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