Source: Times of India, 9 November 2001

AMIT MUKHERJEE

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

AHMEDABAD: All Praveen Mehta, a retired bank employee of Ahmedabad, can think of these days is a dark underground chamber, guarded by three disfigured statues of dancing girls.

The chamber, with six hidden air ducts, was discovered after the January 26 earthquake of Gujarat. Believed to be a secret cellar of a bygone era, the chamber could have been used for performing secret yagnas. It could even be the outer chamber of a secret treasure trove.

The house, which was purchased by Mehta's grandfather Giridharilal in 1898, suffered considerable damage in the quake. Portions of the floor developed cracks and the foundation was damaged as well.

Towards the end of August, one night Mehta woke up thirsty. Half asleep, he was fumbling for the switchboard, when he felt the ground sinking under him. Before he realised what happened, he found himself standing waist deep in soil.

Subsequent efforts to repair the living room floor led to the discovery of the small chamber underneath. It is connected to a tunnel, suggesting the existence of a catacomb below.

"It was an interesting co-existence — living with the mysterious history beneath you," remarks Mehta.

The main chamber is about 10 feet high and can be accessed through a staircase, big enough to accommodate a grown person.
The wall opposite has a carved facade in limestone about a foot wide. At its bottom, just above the floor, is the figure of a dancing apsara. At her feet lies the mouth of the tunnel.

The construction has elements of ancient temple architecture with arched cavities on the walls. The design reveals the influence of Hindu culture. "The experts from the Archaeological Survey of India have already made a detailed assessment," says Mehta. Though they have not come to any conclusion, the 14 such slots, which normally
have statuettes placed inside them, are empty, suggesting intrusions
into the area.