GADAG: A 14-year-old boy’s honesty outshone a trove of gold and copper he and his mother Gangavva Ritti, a labourer, accidentally discovered while digging up the earth to build their house in Gadag taluk’s Lakkundi, which was once ruled by the Rashtrakutas and Chalukyas from 6th to 10th centuries, on Saturday.Prajwal Basavaraj Ritti, a Class 8 student, is now the toast of the town. Chief minister Siddaramaiah and senior minister HK Patil have praised the boy for the rare discovery and its safekeep and promised a “suitable reward” to him. The govt may provide 20% of the treasure’s value as compensation to the Ritti family.Gangavva said they do not want treasure, but sought permission to continue construction at the site. She has also sought financial help and a govt job for Prajwal.Eager to build a roof over their head, Gangavva, a widow, and Prajwal started excavation on a piece of family land. After digging about 5ft deep, workers’ pickaxe struck a metal object with a clang, and a pot with golden ornaments stood out shining bright. Alongside was a trove of items made from copper and rare stones.The Class 8 boy stumbled upon a collection of 466gm of gold ornaments and 634gm of copper artefacts. Guided by honesty, the boy took the items into the pooja room of their current house not too far away, and locked them. After consulting his family, the boy handed over the trove to the Gadag district administration. Lakkundi, known for historical significance, is 12km from Gadag and about 75km from Hubballi. It’s a village of about 20,000 people with floriculture as the main occupation. Following the discovery, additional antique items were traced by local collector Basappa Badiger. All precious items were handed over to the government over the weekend.CM Siddaramaiah said the boy’s honesty is greater than any treasure. Law minister HK Patil, in charge of Gadag district, met the Rittis Tuesday and said, “Govt will provide support to the Ritti family, which deserves honour. We’ll announce the details after discussing it in the cabinet meeting.”Patil said examples of returning valuable items honestly are rare. Under the Lakkundi antiquities collection programme, villagers have handed over more than 1,100 items to the govt, showcasing the culture and heritage of this village.The treasure had its share of controversy after ASI official Ramesh Mulimani said the jewellery should go to the family, prompting relatives to make a demand. Disputing his view, R Shejeshwar, deputy director of the state archaeological department, said, “If any item — regardless of value — is found under ground, it should be treated as treasure as per Karnataka’s ancient and historical monuments and archaeological sites and remains rules, 1962.” Mulimani later apologised for his earlier statement.WHAT IT CONTAINS* Golden bracelet, rings, bangles, a deep, heavy necklace among 22 pieces of jewellery. They’re value yet to be assessed* Details of copper items not made public yet* Pearls, coral, sapphire, crystal, white coral, and black stone, were also found* Sources said treasure more than 100 years old* Abandoned land belongs to the Rittis* House was to come up on 640sqft of land
