Unnao, October 20, 2013: It’s early morning and the old Shiva temple on the bank of the Ganga in Daundiya Kheda village here is already flocked by a horde of locals, visitors and journalists as the Arachaeological Survey of India (ASI) team continued its excavation work for the second day on Saturday in search of gold at the dilapidated fort of Raja Ram Baksh Singh in the Buxar area.

A few hawkers have set up shop outside the compound in the hope of cashing in on the crowd. Security personnel who stand guard at various points look on and yawn out of fatigue. The place resembles a festival but there is little action.

The gold hunt began after Shobhan Sarkar, head priest of the Shobhan Temple in Unnao, claimed to have dreamt of 1,000 tonnes of gold buried under the ruins of the fort. He declared that the king appeared in the dream and told him about the treasure.

While officials remained tight-lipped, they are believed to have dug some 11 inches and it would be clear only after a few days of digging if there is anything underneath.

Enthralled by the priest’s dream, pockets of the population of this nondescript village just a few km off the Grand Trunk Road in Unnao, are hopeful that gold will be found, though they are not sure how much. “If Shobhan Sarkar says gold is there, it will be there. It was a rajwada [royalty] after all. Something will be found for sure,” says Shiv Bahadur, a wood-seller, who has come to catch a glimpse of the excavation.

Locals defend the priest’s “dream” with little anecdotes and folktales of their own. Mr. Bahadur recalls that when he was young, his teachers would mention a “shadow” under which there would be gold.

“The way to the gold went through a tunnel and there was a well somewhere as well. But they also warned that those who went to search the gold, never returned.”

Given the public curiosity surrounding the “gold,” security forces, including the Provincial Armed Constabulary, have been deployed around the fort and all entries are barricaded.

While “irritated” policemen rubbished the claim of gold, some like constable Ram Shankar, a native of Chandrapur village, 15 km from the site, claimed that the knowledge of the hidden gold was public long before “the priest's dream.”

“Since childhood we would hear stories. The gold is there somewhere. But how much we didn't know. Well, there could also be other metals like silver and bronze,” he says.

Swami Vairagi Maharaj, a Mahamandaleshwar of the Niranjani akhara, is seated in a yogic posture on the pane of the temple at the site. The seer, who travelled to Unnao from Indore, claims to be an exponent of “Mirch [chilli] Yagna,” a Vedic technique in which he uses chillies to cure diseases. “I will perform the yagna here so that it helps in retrieving the gold,” he declares to an astounded audience. “It is the truth. There is gold there!”

Locals also believe that the wealth of the kingdom of Bithoor is also hidden in the village.

Meanwhile, Sarkar performed “bhoomi pujan” and marked the points to be excavated by the ASI team. Munni Yadav, a devotee of the seer, warns the officials to listen to the conditions of his guru if gold is to be retrieved.

“The gold should be shared among the village [20 per cent], State [30 per cent] and Centre [50 per cent]. The gold should be used for the development of Daundia for building a hospital here.”

However, the seer’s other condition is a little baffling. “If the gold is not dug before Diwali, it will turn into ash,” Mr. Yadav claimed.

Another pointer to the officials was that the treasure would not be found concentrated at one place. According to sources, the excavation is divided into 10 parts. Besides, many people, claiming to be Ram Baksh Singh’s descendants, have surfaced. However, some aren’t too interested or hopeful.

“The ruler was not so grand to store so much gold. Even if they find something, which is unlikely, the government will keep it. May be some of it will rub on the village,” says Lal Bahadur, a farmer. “If I question the seer’s dream, people will declare me an atheist. Let us wait and watch,” he added.

Source: The Hindu, October 20, 2013