The bounty hunters

The strange treasure hunt under the ruins of Raja Ram Baksh Singh’s fort at the Daundiya Kheda village on the banks of the Ganges is a case in point. It seems to have arisen from the dream of a Sant about the hidden treasure under the ruins of a fort there. Interestingly, the local administration seems to have ignored the Sant’s letter about his dream, but a Union minister, who remains unnamed in all the news reports so far, seems to have put the wind in the sails of the rumour by getting the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and Geological Survey of India (GSI) to get involved in preliminary surveys followed by excavations around the site.

The fact that Raja Ram Baksh Singh was a gold trader when he got caught in the events of 1857 Mutiny and was hanged by the British seems to put the rumours of treasure within the realm of possibility for some.

Archaeological Survey of India is an interesting organization, to put it mildly. It is a 150-year-old organization; and not a stranger to controversy. According to its website, it regulates all archaeological activities in the country as per the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958. It also regulates Antiquities and Art Treasure Act, 1972. For the maintenance of ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains of national importance the entire country is divided into 24 Circles.

License from the ASI is required to undertake any excavation activities in sites of archaeological interest. As a sole arbiter of all preservation activities in India, despite its repeated claims to expertise, its conservation activities have come in for severe criticism often.

During the excavation and restoration of Hampi ruins, the eminent novelist Shivaram Karanth had to get its operations stayed by court orders as the work was destroying the character of the monuments. There are many monuments where ASI ‘restoration’ has left an indelible mark – the great Konark temple in Orissa, where beautifully carved temple exterior is ‘restored’ with plain sandstone; the Virupaksha temple of Hampi where cheap granite pillars stand out like an eye-sore in the middle of magnificent architecture.

Ramappa temple and Thousand-pillar temple in Warangal are the examples closer home where similar kind of insensitive ‘restoration’ is being done. The Kalyana mandapam of the Thousand-pillar temple was dismantled some five years back and is yet to be reinstalled. The exterior of Ramappa is slowly being replaced with plain granite slabs.

If one has visited these monuments in their untouched glory (even though they were in ruins), it is heartbreaking to see what is happening to them in the name of restoration by expert hands. This, despite the fact that sculptors of the same tradition are still around and can be involved in the restoration work to bring back a semblance of the original aesthetic.

The alacrity with which the Sate restoration bodies get involved in treasure hunts is not seen when the monuments are being vandalised, encroached and deliberately restructured to suit some real estate or political agendas.

The temple that appeared next to the Charminar is a case in point. Charminar comes under the jurisdiction of the ASI, but so far it has remained a silent spectator. It probably has old records and photographs of the monument to know whether any unlawful modification was done to it or not. But it maintains a stoic silence on the issue. The State archaeological body of Andhra Pradesh was also enthusiastically leading a treasure hunt on the premises of a famous school in Hyderabad last year. Vidyaranya High School located opposite the State secretariat was a part of the Wanaparthy sansthan properties. Based on the gossip of a construction worker who passed on his imaginative stories to a student of the school, the father of the boy initiated a treasure hunt. The state archaeological body got fully involved in the activity, drawing in National Mineral Development Corporation and other such organizations to provide scientific legitimacy to their speculative enthusiasm.

Nothing came of it, except disruption of school activities, and destruction of the school premises and the hill face.

Speaking to the press after inaugurating the Deccan Studies Centre of Maulana Azad Urdu University on September 10, 2012, author William Dalrymple laments the loss of architectural heritage in Hyderabad. He is quoted in Siasat as saying, "I am fascinated by the history of this region. I am sad the city has shed so much of its past. Hyderabad's record of conservation is one of the worst in India … huge amounts of beautiful buildings were destroyed, art collections lost and a great deal of damage done to natural fabric of Hyderabad." The state bodies entrusted with the task of conservation have neglected their primary duty, but have shown an unhealthy enthusiasm for chasing imaginary treasures of past royalty. The central bodies like the Archaeological Survey of India are under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. The media, which often catch the minister in charge to question on such events, have strangely left alone the Minister of Culture, Mrs Chandresh Kumari Katoch, herself of a Maharani linked to both Jodhpur and Kangra royal families.

It would be interesting to know her views on what a department in her ministry is doing in response to the visions of a Sant’s dream. So far her name has not been mentioned in any of the news reports either. Only ASI and the Central government in general are being mentioned.

How some of these curious events come about remains a mystery. The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, seems to require the mandatory permission from ASI for any excavation activity in locations of archaeological interest. Is this why ASI has been involved? If ASI gives permission, it is required to depute officials to the sites where such activity is being undertaken. Then, is the media criticism about ASI participating justified? Who has sought the permission? The ASI also has the authority to reject such requests. Who at ASI has given the permission?

Even as extensive coverage is given to the goings- on, some important information seems to be still missing. The trove that was found at the Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thirvananthapuram seems to have given strength to speculations of this kind. However, the temple was under the protection of a single royal lineage over a very long time and, therefore, much of the wealth was intact. When a place has gone to ruins and has been publicly accessible for so long, it appears a little more far-fetched to expect treasure to remain wherever it was buried for long.

Meanwhile, one presumes, there is no need to hold one’s breath on the outcome of the bounty hunters’ exertions.