Hyderabad: A City of Hidden Chambers and Elusive Treasure
From a Rs 20,000-crore treasure claim to tunnel discoveries, the city has many buried tales
Hyderabad: Hyderabad has long been a city of hidden chambers, and the stories about buried treasure were aplenty. From a reported Rs 20,000-crore treasure hunt inside a tunnel-like structure near the State Secretariat in 2012 to the discovery of a tunnel-like structure near Charminar in 2015 and the saying of an underground passage linking Charminar with Golconda Fort.
In February 2012, the Deccan Chronicle had reported a major treasure hunt near the State Secretariat in Vidyaranya School after information spread about jewels and precious stones worth over Rs 20,000 crore hidden in a tunnel on the premises. The archaeology department reportedly received an affidavit from nine prominent citizens, led by T.B. Raju, chief manager (personnel), Coal India Limited, claiming that they had information about the hidden treasure. The group said they had learnt about it two months earlier but were initially afraid to approach officials, fearing the involvement of a mafia.
It was believed that there was a small staircase that leads to a tunnel-like structure behind the compound wall of the school abutting the Naubat Pahad (Birla Mandir hill). The school building itself is about 100 years old, and city historians say there was a small cave in the hillside. The tunnel is said to be 12 ft by 12 ft.
According to city historian Dr Mohammad Safiullah, many rich families had built bunkers during World War II to escape. Similar bunkers were also found in the Mint Compound. As many as a dozen iron safes were recovered from these bunkers, though all of them were empty, he said.
In another report on April 14, 2015, it was reported in Deccan Chronicle that the police razed the tunnel-like structure that was discovered near Charminar, drawing criticism. The structure, which was initially speculated to be a tunnel, was found at a police construction site. The structure was found in an area where police quarters were being rebuilt.
In 2019, it had been reported that an underground tunnel connects Charminar to the Golconda Fort, probably an escape route for the royalty in times of emergency. The Archaeological Survey of India took up excavation in a bid to unearth the tunnel, but the trail ended a short distance.
