Coins and other antiquities found kept in a pot during pipeline laying work under Nal Jal Yojana

Rajnandgaon TNINS

A total of 65 silver coins of the Mughal era have been found kept in a pot, during the digging for laying water pipeline work in Village Bazar-Navagaon (Gram Panchayat Badgaon-Charbhatha) under Dongargaon development block of Rajnandgaon district. According to antique experts, these coins of the Mughal period date back to about 1700-1800 AD. Apart from this, 3 tiger-shaped rings of mixed metal and 2 bracelets of mixed metal have also been found. The work was being done under the 'Nal Jal Yojana'.

Dongargaon Sub Divisional Officer Shri Sunil Nayak said that the departmental team including Dr. Pratap Chand Parakh, deputy director, Dr. Vrishottam Sahu, excavation assistant, and Dr. Rajeev Minj and Dongargaon SDO under the direction of Shri Vivek Acharya, Director Archaeology, Archives And Museums, Raipur inspected the site concerned and antiquities deposited to Dongargaon police station in-charge Shri Bareth. In a bid to preserve these antiquities, action is being taken to keep the same in Mahant Ghasidas Memorial Museum, Raipur.

The Director of Culture and Archeology Department Shri Acharya told that prima facie the silver coins found seem to be from the period of Mughal ruler Ahmad Shah Bahadur, which were minted in Cuttack. The script inscribed on the coins is Arabic-Persian.