Experts of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) have reason to believe there might be a hidden treasure near the palace of 19th century king Rao Ram Baksh Singh in Daundia Khera village in Unnao district.A team of experts visited the area on Sunday and drilled two holes at a point shown by Swami Shobhan Sarkar, the seer who dreamt about 1,000 tonnes of gold buried underneath the palace.About 20 metres deep, the drilling machine hit something that seemed different from earth. "There is something about 20 metres under the soil. We can establish it's the treasure only after we dig that deep. Several teams of experts have visited the place and given positive signals. We have been asked to bring digging equipment and camp here. The ASI will start digging properly from October 18," said Deepak Chaudhary, an ASI supervisor. The exercise has generated curiosity among the people in the village as well as those who had migrated in search of greener pastures. Virendra Verma, who used to work as a mechanic in Delhi has returned to his village. "My father asked me to return because very soon we will have every opportunity here in the village. Swamiji speaks truth only. He has said 20 per cent of the recovered gold should be used for the development of the area. I will also benefit. I have a big plan for my future," he said.While the villagers are looking for gold, the seer is only worried about the "collapsing economy of India" that compelled him to write a letter to the Prime Minister and the Governor of Reserve Bank of India about the "hidden treasure". "I cried the day I realised that India is going to collapse economically. I talked to my gurus, Late Bhaskaranandji and Late Satsaganandji Maharaj, in my dream. I told them that the spirit of the king still roams around the palace and pleads to me to liberate it by digging out 1,000 tonnes of gold buried beneath his palace. My gurus laughed at me. I argued that it may be nothing for them but it is a hidden treasure for the country. They finally agreed with me and I wrote the letter to the Prime Minister," Sarkar told Mail Today at his ashram in Doodhikagar in Fatehpur district. Sitting on a mat under a peepal tree, Sarkar claimed that the king's spirit would soon be liberated from the cycle of birth and death because his last wish would be fulfiled. For the record, Rao Ram Baksh Singh, the king of the area, was hanged to death by the British rulers during the revolt of 1857. "Officials of the Archaeological Survey of India and the Geological Survey of India started working here in the first week of this month. Since the area is spread over 60 acres they failed to locate the point. Then I went with them and pointed out the spot," Sarkar said."They made two holes there and realised that there was a possibility of huge stock of gold buried in the earth," he added. Since Sarkar does not like to talk to everyone, he communicates with the central government officials through his disciple Swami Om Jee. But the state government is also alert. Suresh Babu, a lekhpal of Bighapur area, and Ajay Pal Singh, husband of the village chief Sheela Singh, are keeping a constant vigil on every activity of the ASI and GSI officials."I have been asked to camp here because whatever is buried in the earth actually belongs to the state government," said Suresh Babu.Sarkar, however, is not bothered about who would take the gold. "The ASI may reach the point where 1,000 tonnes of gold is buried, but they cannot touch the treasure without the permission of my gurus. If at all they try to ignore my suggestion, the gold will vanish from there," he claimed.Insisting that his claims are not baseless, Sarkar said: "My entire spirituality is at stake. Suppose there is no gold at all. What will happen to me? The government may dub me a fake sadhu. My followers would desert me. Don't think that I am not aware of such possibilities. Still I have written the letter. And it is my promise that if the government follows my suggestion, it will get the gold there," he said. He claimed that if his suggestions are followed, the value of rupee would be on a par with dollar soon. "I even say rupee would be stronger than dollar."People may think all this is hocus-pocus, but the strength of Sarkar's vision is driving the agenda for the present.The far-flung Daundia Khera village in Unnao is witness to the fact that religion works like opium. After getting news about the gold treasure, men of the village have halted work and hang around the 180-year-old Shiv temple built by an erstwhile raja decades ago.Local residents had stopped visiting the place fearing something bad would befall them. But not any longer. Besides the locals, even those who had migrated to Mumbai and Delhi for work have returned. The whiff of gold has brought them back.Awadhesh Kumar Dixit, who used to work in different shops in Delhi and returned to the village early this month, said: "Swami Shobhan Sarkar has put a condition before the Centre that the youths of the village should be given jobs. Our village chief Sheela Singh has sent a list to the PM in which my name is included. Why should I work as a daily wager in Delhi anymore?" Dixit asked."I am helping the ASI with the hope to touch gold soon," he added.Virendra Verma, who used to work as a mechanic in Delhi, has also come back. "My father asked me to return because very soon we will have every opportunity here in the village. Swamiji speaks the truth only. There would be construction work in the village as we will have hospitals, colleges and solar plants here. Swamiji has said 20 per cent of the recovered gold should be used in the development of the area. I will also be benefited and I have a big plan for my future", he said.Anup Kumar Tiwari was working as an unskilled worker in factories in Mumbai but returned to the village two weeks ago. "What is the need to work there if we are going to get everything here in the village. We hope that the government would also give us agricultural land," he said.When reminded that the ASI may keep digging for years, he said, "So what? We can wait. But we will not leave the village till the gold is recovered."