Archaeologists in India have been digging for a treasure of 1000 tonnes of gold in a 19th century fort in Indian State of Uttar Pradesh on the basis of a Hindu saint’s dream. The saint has further claimed that even a bigger treasure is buried in the State.

New Delhi, Oct 19/Nationalturk: In what could be the first exercise of its kind, archaeologists in India have been digging for a treasure of 1000 tonnes of gold in a 19th century fort in Indian State of Uttar Pradesh on the basis of a Hindu saint’s dream. The saint has further claimed that even a bigger treasure is buried in the State.

The Hindu saint Shoban Sarkar has claimed that the former king  Raja Rao Ram Bux Singh, who was ruling the State a century and a half back, had appeared to him in a dream and told him that 1000 tonnes of gold lay buried in the ruins of his fort.

His dream and claim of 1000 tonnes of gold buried in the fort triggered gold rush.

“The king, who was hanged in 1858 after rising up against Britishers, appeared in the dream of the saint Shoban Sarkar and told him to take care of the gold treasure buried in the remains of the late king’s fort,” said Swami Omji, a follower of the saint.

Dream prompted ASI to start excavation work

The dream of gold treasure prompted Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to send a 12-member team to the fort of the former king for excavation.  The excavation work was being carried out amid tight security at the fort in Unnao’s Daudiakala village and was being watched by hundreds of people.

Indian Minister of State for Food Processing Charan Das Mahant met the Hindu saint after he learnt about his dream. Soon the excavation work was started by ASI.

A senior ASI official said they started the excavation work on the basis of findings of a report by Geological Survey of India (GSI) and not on the basis of saint’s dream.  “A report by the GSI had suggested that there may be gold or silver in the fort. On the basis of findings of the report, we have started the excavation and results will come soon.”

Before the excavation work started, the Hindu saint had performed some rituals and marked the points for excavation.

A top civil official of the area said excavation work would take at least a month to complete.

‘2500 tonnes gold buried in Fatehpur village’

The Hindu saint  Shobhan Sarkar has claimed that he dreamt of a bigger gold treasure of around 2500 tonnes buried in Adampur village in Fatehpur district in Uttar Pradesh .

He has written to top civil officials of Fatepur and informed him about his dream.

The descendants of the former king came forward to stake their claim in the gold that the Hindu saint dreamt of.

Politicians mock excavation work

Former Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam said there must be some logical conclusion behind the excavation work at the fort of former king Raja Ram Bux Singh in Uttar Pradesh.

“According to me science doesn’t allow any guess. It must have some logical conclusion,” Kalam said.

The rightwing Hindu party BJP’s prime ministerial candidate for 2014 polls and chief minister of Indian state of Gujarat Narendra Modi has mocked the excavation work.

“The whole world is laughing at us over this exercise.  Somebody dreamt and the government has launched an excavation. The money hidden by thieves and looters of India in foreign banks is much more than 1000 tonnes of gold. If the government can bring back that money, it won’t have to do digging for gold,” he said.

The leftist leader Sitaram Yechury termed it strange. “It is not right to dig up some place to find hidden treasure on the basis of someone’s dream. What is going on is something we have never heard of before””.

India’s ruling Congress party slammed Modi for mocking ASI’s treasure hunt in Unnao village.

“The ASI’s excavation was based on a report of Geological Survey of India that there could be metal buried underground. There is no harm if the country benefits from it,” Congress spokesperson Renuka Chowdhury said.

“The Geological Survey of India said there is some metal underneath the temple. What actually is there will be known only after digging,” she added.

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Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk India News

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