Hunt for 1000 tonnes gold unearths rusted iron and glass bangles
NEW DELHI: Pieces of rusted iron and broken glass bangles are all that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the Geological Survey of India (GSI) have so far found on the premises of Raja Rao Ram Baksh Singh’s fort in Unnao.
The agencies started the excavation work on October 18, around three months after seer Shobhan Sarkar told a Union minister that he had dreamt of a 1,000-tonne gold treasure buried on the fort premises at Daundia Khera, Unnao.
Fed up, the agencies have reportedly slowed down the exercise after they realised that they would find only some materials which are of archeological importance. The workers of the agencies took a holiday on Wednesday.
“The fort of Rao Ram Baksh Singh must not be more than two centuries old. Obviously, we don’t have a solid reason to dig the area, except that a seer who has a tremendous influence on some members of the Union government wants us to follow his instinct and continue the exercise till we find the treasure,” an ASI official told M AIL T ODAY . “ We have received some iron pieces and nails from the excavated area. We have also found some broken glass bangles. Further study would reveal the age of these materials,” he said.
Sarkar, however, stood by his claim that 1,000 tonnes of gold is buried in the fort ruins.
Fed up, the agencies have reportedly slowed down the exercise after they realised that they would find only some materials which are of archeological importance. The workers of the agencies took a holiday on Wednesday.
“The fort of Rao Ram Baksh Singh must not be more than two centuries old. Obviously, we don’t have a solid reason to dig the area, except that a seer who has a tremendous influence on some members of the Union government wants us to follow his instinct and continue the exercise till we find the treasure,” an ASI official told M AIL T ODAY . “ We have received some iron pieces and nails from the excavated area. We have also found some broken glass bangles. Further study would reveal the age of these materials,” he said.
Sarkar, however, stood by his claim that 1,000 tonnes of gold is buried in the fort ruins.
The seer who dreamt of 1,000 tonnes of buried gold
Shobhan Sarkar is a mystery for his followers. They know little about him except that he has got many ponds and roads constructed in Kanpur, Fatehpur and Unnao from the money offered to him by his disciples.
The people of the state first came to know of him during the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party government between 2003 and 2007 when Sarkar announced that he would make an over-bridge on river Ganga to connect Unnao with Kanpur.
Barely 5’ 5” tall and in a 5-metre-long saffron loincloth, Sarkar told MAIL TODAY a few days ago that he doesn’t have any wealth in his name.
“I wear khadaun (wooden Shobhan Sarkar’s ashram in Doodhikagar, Fatehpur. Sandals and wrap myself with this cloth. I neither have land in my name nor do I have a bank account,” he said.
Those close to him said: “He was born in Shuklanpurva. He did his intermediate from Brahmawart College and then took sanyas.”
Shobhan Sarkar is a mystery for his followers. They know little about him except that he has got many ponds and roads constructed in Kanpur, Fatehpur and Unnao from the money offered to him by his disciples.
The people of the state first came to know of him during the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party government between 2003 and 2007 when Sarkar announced that he would make an over-bridge on river Ganga to connect Unnao with Kanpur.
Barely 5’ 5” tall and in a 5-metre-long saffron loincloth, Sarkar told MAIL TODAY a few days ago that he doesn’t have any wealth in his name.
“I wear khadaun (wooden Shobhan Sarkar’s ashram in Doodhikagar, Fatehpur. Sandals and wrap myself with this cloth. I neither have land in my name nor do I have a bank account,” he said.
Those close to him said: “He was born in Shuklanpurva. He did his intermediate from Brahmawart College and then took sanyas.”
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