Puducherry: A five-ft tall stone Shiva lingam, believed to be more than 300 years old, has been unearthed by a farmer in neighbouring Poornankuppam, officials said.

Puthupattan (56) was digging his field with an earthmover when the machine suddenly hit a hard object about four feet beneath the earth. The farmer and local people dug away and found the lingam, local revenue officials said. He immediately informed the nearby revenue office and a team of officials rushed to the site, they said.

The officials said a preliminary study indicated that the lingam was more than 300 years old. However, the exact period to which it belonged could be ascertained only after inspection by experts from the Archaeological Survey of India, expected on November 7, they said.

Meanwhile, people from nearby villages flocked to the spot on hearing about the lingam. Some of them performed poojas and sprinkled flowers on it, they said.