One of my favorite childhood books has to be the classic by Robert Louis Stevenson, "The Treasure Island". The pirates especially the affable and at the next moment sinister one legged Captain Long John Silver and the virtual transformation of the innocent Jim Hawkins from a gullible country boy to a man hardened by experiences of loyalty, bravery and honor, have been etched in my mind forever from this book on a fascinating treasure hunt.
There is something that attracts one and all to a treasure hunt from time immemorial; El Dorado and Atlantis are names that come to mind immediately. In the present day, a treasure hunt that has grabbed eye-balls all across India, has been the digging that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has embarked upon in a small nondescript village Daundia Khera in the Unnao district of the central Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
This unusual "Gold" digging expedition has been undertaken by the ASI after the central government gave a go ahead on the basis of a dream that a seer of the region had. The holy man, Shobhan Sarkar dreamed that buried beneath the ruins of an old palace at Daundia Khera lie the fabulous treasure of Raja Rao Ram Baksh Singh, the king of Buxar, who was hanged by the British for participating in the great Mutiny of 1857 also referred to as India's First War of Independence.
The treasure in the dream, claimed the saint was a mind boggling 1000 tonnes (1 tonne = 1000 Kgs) of Gold that translates to roughly 35274000000 ounces. The price (as of today) of 1 ounce of gold is 1330 $, so calculated at the present value, the treasure's value would be in trillions of USD or in Indian rupees (assuming 1$=60 INR) it would come to an astronomical figure, enough to give the more than 1.2 billion Indians at least INR 2500 per person . However flimsy the basis, the amount was enough to spur every concerned party into action. The digging, which has been on for the last 4 days, has been slow but till date barring some 19th century relics nothing much has come up. But the interest in the treasure hunt has not waned and in fact even international media too has started covering it.
Most people dream of digging up great treasures and commence upon long illusory treasure hunts. They keep on living a dream and run all their lives in the quest of the "El Dorado" that they believe will change their lives. But the point they miss, as they rush through their lives, is that the greatest treasure that a person might find in the world actually lies within that person himself and his immediate surroundings.
"It is ONLY Me and My Attitude, which is responsible for My Success".
Peace, happiness and a contended personal life are probably the greatest treasures on earth, which most people in the present give a miss in their never ending Treasure Hunt for a better future....
There is something that attracts one and all to a treasure hunt from time immemorial; El Dorado and Atlantis are names that come to mind immediately. In the present day, a treasure hunt that has grabbed eye-balls all across India, has been the digging that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has embarked upon in a small nondescript village Daundia Khera in the Unnao district of the central Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
This unusual "Gold" digging expedition has been undertaken by the ASI after the central government gave a go ahead on the basis of a dream that a seer of the region had. The holy man, Shobhan Sarkar dreamed that buried beneath the ruins of an old palace at Daundia Khera lie the fabulous treasure of Raja Rao Ram Baksh Singh, the king of Buxar, who was hanged by the British for participating in the great Mutiny of 1857 also referred to as India's First War of Independence.
The treasure in the dream, claimed the saint was a mind boggling 1000 tonnes (1 tonne = 1000 Kgs) of Gold that translates to roughly 35274000000 ounces. The price (as of today) of 1 ounce of gold is 1330 $, so calculated at the present value, the treasure's value would be in trillions of USD or in Indian rupees (assuming 1$=60 INR) it would come to an astronomical figure, enough to give the more than 1.2 billion Indians at least INR 2500 per person . However flimsy the basis, the amount was enough to spur every concerned party into action. The digging, which has been on for the last 4 days, has been slow but till date barring some 19th century relics nothing much has come up. But the interest in the treasure hunt has not waned and in fact even international media too has started covering it.
Most people dream of digging up great treasures and commence upon long illusory treasure hunts. They keep on living a dream and run all their lives in the quest of the "El Dorado" that they believe will change their lives. But the point they miss, as they rush through their lives, is that the greatest treasure that a person might find in the world actually lies within that person himself and his immediate surroundings.
"It is ONLY Me and My Attitude, which is responsible for My Success".
Peace, happiness and a contended personal life are probably the greatest treasures on earth, which most people in the present give a miss in their never ending Treasure Hunt for a better future....
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