Indian archaeologists have started digging near an Old Fort in Uttar Pradesh State for searching 1000-tonne gold treasure based on a seer’s dream.
A 12-member team comprising archaeologists, geologists and workers began digging a mound in the ruins of the fort built by Raja Rao Ram Baksh Singh, in Duandia Kheda village in Unnao district, 100km from Lucknow, in Uttar Pradesh State of India.
The hunt has created curiosity after reports that highly-revered local seer Shobhan Sarkar told India minister Charan Das Mahant that India’s financial troubles will ease to a great extent if the gold was excavated and spent on public welfare.
Early this month, Shobhan Sarkar had claimed that the 19th century local king Rao Ram Baksh Singh had appeared in his dream and told him about 1,000 tonnes of gold lying buried near a 180-year-old Shiva temple in Daundia Khera village of Unnao. The king was hanged to death by the British rulers during the revolt of 1857 and his palace, situated near the temple, was destroyed.
District Magistrate Vijay Kiran Anand said the excavation work would take at least a month to complete. Anand said that excavation was planned after the Geological Survey of India (GIS) had noted the presence of some valuable metals beneath the earth at the fort.
Superintending archeologist, Archeological Survey of India’s Lucknow circle, says, “For us even an earthen pot is of immense importance. We are least bothered about gold and we do not work on dreams. We are just following the orders from Delhi,” Mishra said.
He said the presence of a non-rocky substance at the depth of 20-metres noticed during the geological survey was the only “proof” that prompted the excavation.
The ASI experts have made it clear that they will go extremely slow when it comes to digging. They have advised the workforce not to dig more than three feet in eight hours.
“Workers have been instructed to go slow and remain a bit gentle; they should not generate extra-force when hitting the surface. ASI doesn’t want to damage any historic artifact it might hit upon in the process,” Mishra said.
The ASI has not opted for the technologically driven non-destructive technique it normally applies in such works because of the terrain where dense forest cover pose a problem.
Asked if the Unnao treasure was enough for the country, the seer Shobhan Sarkar said, “I’ve mentioned four such places: one in Fatehpur and three in Kanpur. The entire country has such gold mines.”
