It’s not gold but development for Daundiya Kheda

Kanpur: A nondescript Daundiya Kheda village in Unnao came into limelight after Archaeological Survey of India had conducted unsuccessful bid to excavate over 1000 tonnes of gold in 2013. Now, the village will be developed as a tourist spot by Awas Vikas Parishad. The project is to be funded by the state government. The old Shiv temple on the banks of Ganga also known as Kameshwar Mahadev Mandir, where excavation took place, will also get a facelift.
This village houses ruins of fort of Raja Rao Ram Baksh Singh, an old well and the 19th century temple of Lord Shiva, which had survived the vagaries of weather.
Daundiya Kheda gained prominence as the place near the ruins of fort of Ram Baksh Singh was dug up by teams of Archeaological Survey of India (ASI) in October 2013 to materialise the dream of saint Shobhan Sarkar, who had claimed that 1,000 tonnes of gold treasure was buried under the palace. The excavation had made global headlines and the world media had made beeline at the excavation site. Nothing was recovered from the excavation site and ASI had to close down the lengthy exercise.
Daudiya Kheda is also historically important as British had hung king Ram Baksh Singh over mutiny of 1857. The Raja had revolted against the British policies and had not bowed down before them. He was killed his fort was damaged.
Beautification of Daundiya Kheda Ghat, construction of changing rooms, an overhead water tank, toilets and a wrestling ring are in the pipeline. Around half-a-dozen shops will also be constructed. Rs 1.10 crore, out of total Rs 2.76 crore, had been sanctioned by the state government for giving Daundiya Kheda temple compound a facelift. Avas Vikas Parishad has been entrusted the responsibility of upgrading the temple premises. The wrestling ring and shops will come on the ground in front of the temple in the first phase and work is expected to be completed by June this year. The ghat will be developed behind the temple from where the Ganga flows.
The foundation stone was laid by SP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar on January 3. The work of digging of foundation for construction of shops began on January 12. The villagers were hopeful that in near future, their village will have basic amenities. The village having 25 'kuccha-pucca' hutments is situated 50 metres away from the temple. The electricity is yet a dream for villagers.
Bhagwantnagar MLA Kuleeep Singh Sengar, in whose constituency Daundiya Kheda village comes, said that chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav took interest in developing the village as a tourist spot and first installment amount of Rs 1.10 crore hadbeen released.
The temple is still frequented by villagers. The shops will sell 'prasad', flowers and 'puja samagri' to devotees.
Village pradhan Sheela Singh said: "The development of the temple is a welcome step but the state government and the tourism department should maintain it also. The stairs of the temple need a facelift The place should be developed as a tourist spot."
The road leading to the temple should be constructed. We have demanded to construct a boundary wall around the temple. The pradhan said that efforts would be made to provide power to the village. Former pradhan Ajay Pal Singh said that the villagers are happy over the development of the village.
He further informed that the purpose of getting a wrestling ring is to keep the local tradition of 'kushti' alive. Raja Ram Baksh Singh used to organize wrestling competitions.
Avas Vikas Parishad executive Anand Veer Singh said that as of now Rs 1.1 crore have come which will be utilized in constructing six shops, toilets and changing room at the ghat. A wrestling platform will also be made. The work has commenced. It is expected to be completed by June.
In the second phase, an overhead tank, pathway and road leading to the temple will be completed.
No facelift for Shiv temple: Daundiya Kheda village will get a facelift but its Shiv temple said to be built some 200 years ago has been left out despite the fact that it needs repairs and maintenance. Development of the village is incomplete without maintaining this old temple, which is still frequented by villagers. The place will be able to attract tourists only when the an existing old temple is preserved. The place has historic importance and needs maintenance. But there is no mention about the temple in the list of projects that Awas Vikas Parishad has been handed over to do, said a local.
The importance attached to Daudiya Kheda is that once it was ruled by king Ram Baksh Singh, who was hanged by the British following the Mutiny in 1857. Though Raja's fort is in ruins, it is the temple which still stands tall with the desecrated statues of Lord Shiva. The villagers of Daundiya Khera said that they still visit the temple and perform puja of the 'Shivling' that is placed there.
Local SP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar admitted that there is no separate fund for the maintenance of the Shiv temple, locally known as Kameshwar Mahadev mandir. He said that he would get the temple maintained with his own funds.
The temple carved out of thin red bricks (lakhori bricks) and bonded with mortar, holds rare artisan work and has statues of Lord Hanuman and other gods and goddess. It is situated on a raised platform. Its staircases are damaged.
The ASI, during its excavation in 2013, had observed that the place was a settlement much before Raja Ram Baksh Singh ruled. This fact has been documented at different places and by Lord Alexander Cunningham, considered to be the father of Indian Archaeology. In 1862, Cunningham noted that Chinese traveller Huen Tsang, who visited the place in 7th Century, described it as a place with five Buddhist monasteries and over 1,000 members of Sammatiya School, one of the four main Buddhist sects of that time.
Cunningham wrote that Huen Tsang came to Hayamukha as a part of his travel to central India. He stated that if he was correct in identifying it, Hayamukha was Daundia Khera. It is most certain that Hayamukha must be the present day Daundiya Kheda on the northern bank of Ganges, Cunningham noted. Though he maintained that Daundiya Kheda was a small place (probably when he was writing the book), Cunningham was forced to agree with Huen Tsang's description of the place. Tsang noted that the circuit (read circumference) of the town was 20 li, the Chinese unit of measurement, equivalent to three miles.
Examining different facts, Cunningham concluded that while Hayamukha was a bigger province, Daundiya Khera could have been the capital of Bais Rajput.
The Gazetteer of Oudh (Vol 4) strengthens what Cunningham wrote. Published in 1878, it states that the place was founded by Abhai Chand Bais, who called it Sangrampur because he had to fight a fierce battle here. It has noted that Ram Baksh Singh, a descendent of Abhai Chand, lived here and was hanged after mutiny of 1857.