Hunt for precious stones begins near Vajrakarur

ANANTAPUR: Though the rainy season in Vajrakarur and its connecting parts fails to usher in a good crop yield for the farmers, the season however has another yield that is far more lucrative- precious stones! The places attract hunters from all over during the rains.

While farmers prepare the lands during rainy season for groundnut sowings, other people are busy searching for diamonds and precious stones in the fields. At least 30 to 40 diamonds are found every year by the diamond hunters and it has changed their lives dramatically. 

Precious stones appear during the rainy season between July and September and the people in the area have a tradition of testing their fortunes during this time of year.

The lands of Vajrakarur mandal in Anantapur district and the Pathikonda area in Kurnool district see more hunters than farmers and farm labourers during the rains. Hundreds of people from many parts of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka rush to these villages which are known to have precious stones. They form teams and hunt for diamonds in the farmlands just after the rains begin. As usual, this year too, the hunters have descended to test their fortunes.

In fact, the Rayalasee-ma under the Vijayana-gara Empire was an open market for diamonds and precious stones. Precious stones were traded on the roads like cereals and peanuts five centuries ago. The hunters believe that diamonds are still lying beneath the earth and they become visible during the rainy season. 

Last year, a person from Telangana succeeded in unearthing two precious stones in the Jonnagiri area and sold them for '10 lakh to the traders. In addition to the hunters, diamond merchants too are arriving there to purchase the precious stones.

Normally, diamonds and gems are found during the rainy season in various parts of Tuggali, Jonnagiri, Pathikonda and Vajrakarur. The gems appear in the fields after the rain washes away the upper layers of the earth. Most of the lands in Tuggali, Jonnagiri Maddikera and Vajrakarur have red soil with no groundwater facility.

In a few cases, the police and the revenue department took the initiative and seized the precious stones that were found. 

In fact a tribal farmer from Kundurpi is still fighting for additional compensation for his diamond that was taken by the revenue department and was handed over to state archaeological department. The diamond is on display in the Hyderabad museum.