Fifty years ago | Relentless hunt for treasure
This archival piece from 1974 details an intensive treasure hunt at Jaigarh Fort in Jaipur based on a map provided by a local informant. Despite weeks of excavation, authorities had yet to locate the rumored 250-year-old Mughal-era treasure.
Why it matters
It serves as a historical record of a high-profile archaeological and treasure-hunting event that captured public imagination in 1970s India.
Jaipur, July 28: Despite intensive digging for one and a half months, a breakthrough in history’s biggest-ever treasure hunt at the Jaigarh fort here is nowhere in sight.
According to informed sources, a firm indication of the existence of a 250-year-old treasure valued at Rs. 100 crores is likely to be available after they have dug another 15 feet beneath a water tank. Already they have dug up to 29 feet.
Senior income tax officials from Delhi will arrive here on July 30 to review the progress of the digging.
The digging has been undertaken on the basis of a map given to the income tax authorities last year by a gypsy who claimed that his ancestors were very close to Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh who founded Jaipur in 1727 A.D. The hidden treasure belonged to Raja Mansingh Commander-in-Chief of Mughal Emperor Akbar.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in