lost treasure in Rajasthan

There definitely is lost treasure in India. Unfortunately, I have not researched any of them. That would have to be up to you. I would suggest checking at your local library. If you can’t find any information in the stacks, seek out the Reference Librarian. They have ways of finding the information you seek.

Happy hunting

1. Alwar Fort, RajasthanDuring 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.
2. Mughal Treasure of Alwar, Rajasthan – Alwar Fort is about 150 km from Delhi in the Alwar District of Rajasthan. According to local folklore, Mughal Emperor Jehangir took refuge here when he was exiled and that he hid his treasure here while on the run. It is believed that not all of the treasure was salvaged and most of it still lies hidden in the fort. Even before the rise of Mughal Empire, Kingdom of Alwar was a prosperous one and its treasure among other things is believed to have consisted of a drinking cup cut out of a single emerald.
3. Jaigarh Fort, JaipurWhen 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.
4. Jaigarh Fort treasure – The massive treasure hoard is consituted of more than twenty different types of precious stones, including diamonds, rubies, emeralds and opals, almost all faceted with great craftsmanship and ability. The amount of jewellery and stones is just incredible, totalling an incredible 350 kilograms. On top of that, the stash also contained many ancient ceramics and crystalware item of inestimable value. A group of construction workers employed to the restoration of the ancient Moghul structure near Jaipur, in Rajasthan, have uncovered last week, an incredible stash of jewellery and gemstones that could be worth billions of dollars.

What happened to Jaigarh Fort’s treasure and its connection with Indira Gandhi?

Credit: ThinkStock Photos
Rajasthan has a special aura, and then there is this feel in its ambience that one cannot experience anywhere else. Wondering what? Once you find yourself in Rajasthan, you have an eerie feeling as if you have stepped in history and could relive battles that were fought here.

In fact, Rajasthan is home to forts and structures like the Jaigarh Fort that whisper some intriguing tales of horror and betrayal. Also, Rajasthan served as a battlefield for many important battles. Here, the Battle of Jalore in 1310 – 11 was fought in which Alauddin Khilji defeated Kanhad Deo after a long tiring war; the two famous Mughal invasions of Marwar by Akbar in 1562 – 1583, and Aurangzeb in 1679 – 1707. Not to forget, the Battle of Sammel was fought here in 1544.

So, it is not difficult to imagine what more Rajasthan can offer you when it has been such a hot field for battle and betrayal. The entire region is basking with forts, palaces, havelis that stand tall to tell the tales of horror and glory. Yet, if you flip the pages of history, you will find that humankind has not changed in all these years, for we have still have wars raging on.
Photo by:  Ankto420, Creative Commons Attribution Licence
Jaigarh Fort is one glaring example that bears witness to torture from both past and present. If it was exploited in its heyday, the fort suffered in our hands even during the 20th century. Once you are in this opulent structure, there is a lot than what meets your eyes.

This article digs all the intriguing facts to gauge Jaigarh Fort’s interesting history. However, before jumping guns, let us explore Jaigarh Fort in detail.

A little about Jaigarh Fort
Built between 15th and 18th centuries, Jaigarh Fort is a tourist’s delight. To get an overview of Rajasthan’s history and culture, a trip to this fort might enlighten you. Also known as the ‘Victory Fort’, the structure and built of the fort will give you a glimpse of medieval India.
Credit: ThinkStock Photos
It once used to be the centre, where royal treasury was kept and even acted as the defence system of Amer. It was built in 1726 AD by Sawan Jai Singh II and sits at several hundred feet above the sea level. The almost-intact fort is enclosed by huge walls and is connected to the Amer Fort with subterranean passages. It is believed to be built to protect the Amer Fort and is one of the strongest monuments of Jaipur.

More intriguing facts about Jaigarh Fort
The unending walls ― No matter where you are in Amer, one thing that you can see from anywhere are the huge red walls of Jaigarh Fort. The walls seem endless, which are basically made up of sandstones and cover an area of 3 km.
Credit: ThinkStock Photos
Jaivana ― It is the world’s largest wheeled cannon ever constructed, located in Jaigarh Fort. The cannon was built in the fort itself. But, however big its size is, it was never used during an actual battle. Irony!

The mysterious water tank ― The water tank behind the cannon is like any regular water tank, though huge in size. It has rainwater harvesting facility, and has the potential to store around 6 million gallons of water. The water tank has been a matter of discussion not just in the early centuries, but also in the 20th century.

It is believed that Kachwaha Dynasty used this fort to store their treasures. In fact, legends have it that the fort has chambers below the tank, where the loot from a successful siege by Maharaja Man Singh was hidden.

Jaigarh Fort and its connection with Indira Gandhi
During its heyday, it stood tall as a protector of Amer Fort, while in the recent times too the fort managed to create quite a stir with its intriguing tales, which are believed to be rumours. It was during the Emergency in 1977, that the fort found itself in the midst of political turmoil. The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi launched a search operation in all buildings on a tip-off that the fort’s water tanks and precincts had hidden treasure stored in huge amounts.
Photo by:  Meenal2107, Creative Commons Attribution Licence
At this point of time, Gayatri Devi was imprisoned and Indira Gandhi though it to be the apt time to search Jaipur royal properties for treasure. It is still debatable whether Indira Gandhi was able to lay her hands on the treasure, or the search operation turned futile and had to be called off.

Yet, one thing cannot be discarded, rumours cannot hold their ground for long if there is no truth attached to them. Chances are still high that the Jaigarh and Amer forts are still guarding the treasures in full might. Maybe someday, someone…