Bhopal: An old manuscript tucked away in a temple chest. A forgotten inscription in a village shrine. A fading photograph inside a family cupboard. As archaeologists fan out across Madhya Pradesh under the Gyan Bharatam Mission, remarkable discoveries are surfacing almost every week.
The latest finds have emerged from the home of Radhavallabh Mishra, a 75-year-old priest in Datia. These include a rare colonial-era composite photo portrait of Queen Victoria with 12 Indian royals and perhaps the earliest known official brass badge from the Jhansi kingdom.
“The photograph, popularly known as the ‘Victoria Group’, was produced by the historic Poona Photographic Co. using a composite arrangement of portraits around 150-200 years ago. It shows Queen Victoria surrounded by the Maharajas of Baroda, Mysore, Indore, Gwalior, Jaipur, Travancore, Charkhari and Nagpur, with the Nizam of Hyderabad as well as PM of Nizam, Nawab Asman Jahan. Time has taken its toll on the fragile print. The lower edge has crumbled away, erasing forever the names of two rulers whose faces alone remain,” said veteran archaeologist Dr Wasim Khan, associated with the directorate of archaeology, archives and museums, Madhya Pradesh.
Its survival is a story in itself. Nearly five decades ago, Mishra found the abandoned photograph lying in a local photo-framer’s shop. Its owner had never returned to collect it. As the years passed, the neglected print slowly deteriorated until Mishra recognised its historical value and preserved it in his personal collection.
The survey yielded another surprise.
“During a recent visit to Datia, we documented an oval brass chapras—an official badge designed to be glued onto the uniform of a palace peon. It bears the inscription ‘Chapras Shri Maharajadhiraj Jhansi Samvat 1896’, corresponding to 1840 CE,” said Khan.
“To the best of our knowledge, this is the first official badge of its kind to come to light from the reign of Raja Gangadhar Rao, before his marriage to Rani Lakshmibai. It offers an extraordinary glimpse into the administrative structure of the Jhansi kingdom,” he added.
Interestingly, Mishra had bought the rare badge from an old utensil shop about 30 years ago for just Rs 50, unaware that it would one day become an important historical find.
Officials believe many more such discoveries are waiting to be found.
“Madhya Pradesh is a treasure house of India’s civilisational memory. For generations, priceless manuscripts, photographs and official records remained locked away in trunks, cupboards, temples and private collections. The Gyan Bharatam Mission has inspired people to come forward with these forgotten heirlooms. Our team is working enthusiastically to help us reconstruct another chapter of our shared past and ensure it is preserved for future generations,” said Madan Kumar Nagargoje, commissioner, directorate of archaeology, archives and museums.
