Huge crowds gather as ASI begins excavation work at Unnao fort,plays down seer ‘dream’

However,ASI officials refused to comment on Sarkar’s ‘dream’ and presence of gold. “We have not come here for gold. We do not undertake any operations on the basis of any dream. We are following our norms,I cannot commit any time frame,” said P K Mishra,Superintendent,ASI,Lucknow.

With a team of 12 persons,only six inches digging could be done in a 10X10 metre trench on day one.

As the excavation began,people from adjoining villages surrounded the fort,latching on to every piece of information — true or false — that came their way. Several temporary edible stalls also mushroomed in no time,selling food items. A motorcycle showroom owner also exploited the opportunity,setting up a stall displaying 10 new bikes and offering discounts.

The narrow brick road leading to Dondiya Kheda,which usually hardly attracts any traffic,was choked with vehicles,forcing police to make parking arrangements nearly 500 metres from the site.

Due to the heavy rush,a three-tier security system was followed. “We have put barricades at three places. All are requested to follow them. No one will allowed inside the fort at the excavation site,” said Sonia Singh,SP,Unnao.

Police had to chase the villagers away after every few minutes as they moved towards the site. Local MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar of Samajwadi Party was also there. “Everything is fine and it will be done,” he said.

Television channels competed with each other to get that exclusive soundbite — and every villager had something new to offer. Some claimed gold coins are found regularly in the fort while others claimed to have found two rifles. Nothing could be substantiated.

More enterprising local youths took up the job of guiding some foreign journalists who too landed at the village. Village pradhan Sheela Singh’s husband Ajay Pal Singh turned important with the local administration keeping in touch with him every moment. As the day progressed,lines of people could be seen coming to the village from every possible route between the fields.

The rush of electronic media began since Thursday night. Local villagers were surprised when two dozen OB vans reached their village in the night. Several other vehicles blocked the only road of the village. Locals,however,helped by offering cots and telling stories about the fort and the king. For some,he is still alive while others believed Shobhan Sarkar’s claim can never go wrong.

Sarkar also had not expected such a huge rush. When journalists approached him on Thursday,he claimed more gold treasure at Adampur Ghat on river Ganga. When asked to substantiate the claims,he asked them to come to Ganga bridge at 4 am on Friday and see the treasure. Journalists reached there at 2 am and but Sarkar never turned up. Later,it emerged that Sarkar conducted a hawan at the excavation site around 5 am and left. The entire day,he remained at his ashram in Buxar and met people.