India was known as
‘sone ki chidiya’, meaning ‘the golden sparrow’. It was because, India earlier
was considered to be rich, prosperous and wealthy. Here a few hidden treasures
in India that give you a glimpse of India’s glorious past. Buy a flight ticket
and visit these places, and if you are lucky you might even discover some old treasures.
Charminar Tunnel, Hyderabad
Constructed by
Sultan Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah, this tunnel connects Charminar and Golconda
Fort. This secret passageway served as an emergency exit for the royal family
during exigencies. The king hid his treasure in this tunnel. There are rumours
that the treasure chest is still undiscovered and awaits an exploration.
King Kothi Palace, Hyderabad
The last Nizam of
Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali was named as 'fifth all-time wealthiest person' with a
net worth of $210.8 billion by Forbes magazine, while TIME magazine declared
him the richest man in the world in 1937. The riches of this royal king are
said to be hidden in the underground chambers of King Kothi Palace, the king’s
personal residence. In his sprawling King Kothi palace, precious jewellery like
diamonds, rubies, sapphires, pearls and gems are stored in steel trunks. It
will be quite a quest to hunt the royal palace down.
Alwar Fort, Rajasthan
During the exile of
Emperor Jehangir, the emperor sought refuge in Alwar Fort of Rajasthan. It is
believed that he hid a great deal of treasure here while he was on the run.
While some of it was found, there was quite some part of it still uncovered.
Jaigarh Fort, Jaipur
When Man Singh I was
on his way from the Afghan conquest, he had a huge chest of treasure with him.
Sources have revealed that he never shared all the treasure with the king. He
hid some of it in Jaigarh Fort. There is also a parallel story which states
that the then PM Indira Gandhi, ordered a search in hunt of the treasure. No
one knows how successful the hunt was. So, by all means, the treasure lays
hidden in the fort and you might stand a fair chance of getting lucky.
Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Kerala
In 2011, an
underground secret vault in the Padmanabhaswamy Temple, situated in
Thiruvananthapuram, was opened on the court order and a collection of gold,
diamonds, gems, silver ornaments, crowns and precious stones were uncovered.
The estimated value of the treasure chest is around $22 billion. There is
another vault in the temple which is believed to be richer and wealthier than
the one discovered.
Krishna River Treasure, Andhra Pradesh
The place that gave
birth to the invincible Kohinoor Diamond, the banks of Krishna river are said
to have the world’s best diamond. Once upon a time, these mines were the main
source of diamonds to the world. If you are lucky, you may even catch a few diamonds
here today. Seven of world’s top 10 diamonds are said to be from Andhra
Pradesh.
Son Bhandar Caves, Bihar
Son Bhandar -
literally meaning 'a repository of gold' hint towards the golden treasury chest
safely camouflaged in it. The set of twin caves, located in the Rajgir district
of Bihar are said to conceal a huge treasure secured safely by the great king
of the Magadha empire, King Bimbisara. Legend has it that if you can decipher
the scripts engraved on the cave, the door of the cave will magically open.
Much like the Alladin days, isn’t it? A canon mark stands testimony to the
failed attempt of the Britishers trying to break open the entrance.
Sri Mookambika Temple, Karnataka
Located on the
foothills of Western Ghats, Sri Mookambika Temple is situated in the Kollur
district of Karnataka. The Nayaks of Bednore which initially ruled under the
Vijayanagra kingdom declared this temple as their state temple and honoured the
idol and the sanctum with a lot of jewellery. It is believed that the kings hid
a great deal of treasure here in a secretly closed chamber, guarded by a
serpent’s motif.
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