ROHTAK, March 22: A few years ago, villagers of Majra, nearly 8 km from here on the Rohtak-Delhi highway, struck a goldmine in the course of digging earth, which they do for a living. Buried under the layers of dreary mud lay precious idols, and even gold and silver coins.The villagers do not know the value of what they have stumbled upon, and have been selling the items for a song. But then, the administration and the Archaeological Department don't seem to care either - they are blissfully unaware of the goings-on.Two idols of Lord Mahabir were reportedly sold for Rs 6,000 each yesterday. The villagers and labourers have also found a large number of silver and gold coins stored in earthen pitchers.The digging work has been going on for one-and-a-half-years. An institution nearby needed earth for filling purposes. They contacted the villagers of Majra, where there were mounds of earth as high as 20 feet. The villagers were thrilled - they thought they could level their land and earn some money inthe process.Initially, they came across one or two statues. But as the digging progressed, there were more treasures in store. Nearly 500 tractor trolleys have been deployed for `carrying earth'. The village once had a four ft-high boundary wall, which indicates that a fort may have existed there. The bricks used were one foot long and six inches wide.The labourers have not been too careful with the digging, and have damaged many statues in the process. Domestic utensils found during the digging too are handled casually. Hukam Singh Balmiki said he had sold two statues of Lord Mahabir for Rs 6,000 each yesterday.Dharma Pal Naik has embedded a statue in his wall, while a metal pillar adorns his house.Babu Lal, a mason, showed off a huge earthen pitcher, saying about one-and-a-half quintals of wheat could be stored in it.Suraj Bhan showed his silver coins, one of which had a figure and an inscription on it.A number of conches too have been recovered. The sandy soil points towards thepossibility of a river having flowed in the region.Moreover, the water is sweet on one bank, and salty on the other. Had the archaeological department acted early, they may have stumbled on an entire civilisation.
