Holy man's dream leads to government hunt for $40b gold treasure
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."