Almost a fortnight after his reported "dream" triggered a treasure hunt by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) at Daundiya Kheda, religious guru Shobhan Sarkar claimed on Thursday that the gold would not be found unless he is present at the excavation site. Denying that he had "dreamt" of the gold, he said he came to know about it through "chintan" (meditation).

This comes barely two days after the ASI closed down one trench saying it had struck loose stones rather than gold.

Speaking at his ashram in Buxar, Sarkar said he knew the "exact location" of the gold. Demanding that the Army be roped in for the excavation, Sarkar said he could deliver the treasure within 10 hours.

However, he said, the government would have to accept his terms  deposit 80 per cent of the gold in the Reserve Bank of India and use the remaining 20 per cent for the development of the region.

Earlier in the day, Sarkar visited Daundiya Kheda and performed a puja on the banks of the Ganga, as he was not allowed to go near the excavation site.

Angry at the alleged lack of transparency in the excavation process, Sarkar said, "Why this secrecy? Why not put up large television screens away from the site and let the people see what is going on."

Alleging that secrecy was being maintained so that the treasure can be appropriated by a few, Sarkar called for "pressure on the administration" to clear his visit to the site. He said he had written to the authorities on October 27 for permission to visit the site, but had not received any response so far.

"I want to give the gold to the nation," he said, maintaining that the treasure was present at around 15 feet below ground level. Sarkar said the ASI would require a lot of time and funds to find it.

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