ASI’s excecise continues, no concrete results so far

Unnao (UP): Archaelogical Survey of India on Friday began digging for a treasure of 1,000 tonne of gold supposed to be buried under the ruins of a 19th century fort on the basis of a seer’s dream. No concrete findings have come out of the first day of digging, said the officials.

The excavation work was being carried out amid tight security at the fort of former king Raja Rao Ram Bux Singh by a 12-member team from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) led by its Deputy Director PK Mishra. The Deputy Director told reporters that ASI began the excavation work on the basis of the findings of a report by GSI. To a query whether the decision for excavation was taken on the basis of the seer’s dream, he said, “actually a report by the GSI suggested that there may be gold or silver there. On the basis of findings of the report we have started the excavation and results will come soon.”

The gold rush was triggered after a seer Shoban Sarkar claimed that the Raja had appeared to him in a dream and told him that 1,000 tonne of gold lay buried in its ruins.

The Raja, who was hanged in 1858 after rising up against the Britishers, appeared in the dream of the seer 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 Sarkar.
As huge crowds gathered around the fort, the district administration clamped prohibitory orders in Unnao to prevent any untoward incident. Barricades were also erected.

District Magistrate Vijay Kiran Anand said the excavation work would take at least a month to complete.

Sarkar earlier performed “boomi pujan” and marked the points to be excavated by the ASI team. After this ritual, Anand formally kickstarted the digging work.