The Indian government on Friday began digging for treasure near an ancient temple after a tip off from a holy man who said he dreamed 1,000 tons of gold was buried there.
Swami Shoban Sarkar said he was approached in a dream by a 19th century ruler called Rao Ram Bux Singh who told him about the $40 billion bonanza buried near an ancient temple.
But despite having no money, land, or even a bank account, Sarkar did not keep the mystical vision to himself. Instead the civic-minded citizen informed the Archaelogical Survey of India (ASI) in the hope the gold could solve India’s economic crisis.
Bowing to political pressure, the ASI has decided to see if Sarkar’s dream checks out. The excavation, in the village of Daundia Khera, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, began Friday.
"I cried the day I realized that India is going to collapse economically," the holy man told the Mail Today newspaper, according to Reuters. "It is a hidden treasure for the country."
Around a dozen labors sent by the ASI arrived at the site on Thursday and cordoned it off with a bamboo fence.
The dig has attracted a lot of interest, with people flocking to see if there is any truth in the holy man’s dreams. Enterprising locals have set up stalls and started selling tea at what has become something of an attraction.
Following the instructions from Sarkar’s dream, the workers have been told to dig in an area based on a shadow cast by the nearby temple, sources told NBC News....MORE
The search for gold has begun near this Shiva Temple in Daundia Khera village.
HT: Mining.com who have quite a few links including one to a reputed second stash.
Here's the entrance to a different temple, the Golden Temple at Amritsar:
