After watching Chhaava, a Bollywood action movie depicting the life of the second Maratha king Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, a massive crowd of villagers in Madhya Pradesh’s Burhanpur flocked to the historical Asirgarh Fort. They initiated a gold hunt and began digging in fields, believing Mughal-era gold coins were buried there.
Fuelled by the film’s narrative, hundreds of villagers rushed to the Fort, once a key Mughal stronghold, in a frantic search of gold and began excavating the fields with shovels and other equipment late into the night using torches.
Some people even brought strainers and metal detectors, hoping to strike gold coins. The digging started around 7 pm and continued until 3 am. The villagers left the place only after police intervened and warned against illegal excavation.
The incident garnered significant traction after a video of the incident surfaced on X.
Subsequently, netizens flooded the comment section with reactions ranging from amusement to disbelief.
“Chhava movie showed that Mughals looted Gold and treasure from Marathas and kept it in the Asirgarh Fort, Burhanpur, MP”. After watching the movie, locals flocked to the spot with digging tools, metal detectors and bags to dig up the treasure and take it home,” wrote one user.
“They think Aurangzeb buried gold in this fort after defeating the Marathas,” one user joked.
Asirgarh Fort, also known as “Key to the Deccan,” dates back to the 15th century. It has a strategic location and commanding views of the Narmada and Tapti river valleys. It has long been the subject of rumours about hidden treasures from Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s campaigns against the Marathas.
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