LUCKNOW/NEW DELHI: In eleven days of hard work, the team from Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has come across almost everything but gold. The team is excavating a mound in Daundiya Kheda area of Unnao district in search of 1,000 tonnes of gold treasure after a seer Swami Shobhan Sarkar dreamed of it.

The dream became a reality after Sarkar's disciple and minister of state for agriculture and food processing Charandas Mahant urged the Geological Survery of India ( GSI ) to hold an express search on the site.

After a field visit to the place, GSI submitted a report which said that there was a chance for finding gold, silver or alloy under the mound. But so far, no gold has been found. In fact, romours that ASI is likely to call off further digging at the site are already doing rounds. Still, ASI will continue with further excavation at least for the next one week.

"The excavators have removed layers of natural soil and now they have come across a stone deposit which will also be removed," BR Mani, additional director general ASI told TOI.

ASI officials however say that they are not disheartened with whatever has been extracted. "The artifacts were no less than gold for us," said Praveen Kumar Mishra, superintending archaeologist, ASI's Lucknow Circle. A brick wall, shards, pieces of glass bangles, marks of hopscotch courts and a mud floor are some of the things that have been identified.

The artifacts belong to two different eras — medieval (17-19th century AD) and early historic period (first century BC and start of AD). The specific cultural details will be revealed after complete analysis of the artifacts through the carbon dating techniques.

Meanwhile, Shobhan Sarkar's emissary Swami Omji Awasthi seems to have lost confidence in baba's dream. "Sona nikalne ki koi guarantee nahi hai kyoki hamare kahe anusaar kaam nahi hua," Awasthi said. (There is no guarantee of finding gold here as the work has not been undertaken according to what we said). But he claimed that his Guru's words were not fake. "Woh (Shobhan Sarkar) chahenge toh sona do ghante mein nikal ayega," said Awasthi. (If he wants, the gold will come out in two hours time).

Cong washes hands off Unnao excavation matter

With 12 days of gold digging in a village in Uttar Pradesh on the basis of a seer's dream yielding no results, Congress on Tuesday washed its hands off the matter saying the party and the government have nothing to do with it as such decisions are taken by agencies concerned on technical ground.

"Any technical agency will take a decision on technical ground. Congress and government have nothing to do with it," party spokesperson PC Chacko said as the archaeological excavations did not find any gold supposed to be buried under the ruins of a 19th century fort in Unnao.

Pointed out that the excavation was done at the instance of Union minister Charan Das Mahant, who had urged the government to do it on the basis of seer Shoban Sarkar's dream, Chacko said that the minister might have given some preliminary information but the agencies would have done only after some examination.

"Anyway this was not a decision by the Congress," he said.

The excavation work for gold at the fort of former king Raja Rao Ram Bux Singh in Daudia Kheera village has reached a depth of 4.8 metres and yielded only pottery and artefacts supposed to be dating back to first century BC.

(With inputs from PTI)