Inside Andhra's monsoon diamond rush: Farmers, fortune-seekers and Rs 5 crore finds

Hundreds stream in on bikes, cling to autorickshaws, or trudge barefoot across the dusty plains of Vajrakarur in Anantapur and the parched farmlands of Jonnagiri, Tuggali and Maddikera in Kurnool. There are no banners or bands here, only whispers carried by the monsoon winds: the diamonds are here.

In a special report for The Times of India, Umamaheswara Rao writes that as the first rains of June and July wash away the topsoil, these mandals transform into makeshift treasure fields. The morning after a downpour, hopefuls armed with sieves, sticks, and even kitchen ladles fan out across the land. On a good day, one or two people might unearth stones worth Rs 1–2 lakh, sometimes even up to Rs 50 lakh. Word of each find spreads fast, drawing larger crowds. Unofficial estimates suggest that Maddikera and Tuggali alone yield diamonds worth nearly Rs 5 crore each monsoon season.

What began as chance finds by farmers has evolved into a full-blown annual spectacle. Entire families camp under trees or village temples, turning these rural belts into seasonal mining hubs. Traders hover nearby, snapping up stones in discreet cash deals before ferrying them to Mumbai and Surat.

Fortunes in the fields

In May 2019, a Jonnagiri labourer unearthed a Rs 14 lakh diamond while tilling his field. That same season, a Peravali farmer sold a Rs 2 lakh stone to a local merchant. Over just three days, neighbouring villages netted diamonds worth Rs 10 lakh. In the Sirivella and Mahanandi zones, locals estimated finds worth Rs 4 crore.

By 2021, the stakes grew higher. Two labourers in Jonnagiri sold stones for Rs 70 lakh and Rs 50 lakh. In July, a driver named Kasim struck a Rs 1.2 crore diamond, while three prospectors camping nearby recovered stones worth Rs 2.4 crore in just two days.

The frenzy continued into 2024. In May, four finds in Tuggali and Maddikera fetched Rs 70 lakh collectively. A month later, a Jonnagiri farmer traded a Rs 15 lakh stone for Rs 12 lakh in cash and five tolas of gold. This June, a woman tilling her paddy plot in Tuggali stumbled upon a gem she sold for Rs 10 lakh.

When TOI visited Jonnagiri and Vajrakarur, the influx was evident. Prospectors now come from Telangana and Karnataka, drawn by the promise of life-changing luck. Among them were N Veeresh from Jadcherla, who arrived with his wife and daughter, and 75-year-old Nolli Ramanamma, camping at a temple in Jonnagiri. “I come every monsoon, hoping this is the year,” said Shaik Akram, a carpenter from Uravakonda.

Not all locals welcome the rush. “Crowds trample over newly sown crops. It’s a headache,” said Khayyum Khan, a farmer in Vajrakarur.

The science beneath the soil

The Wajrakarur Kimberlite Field (WKF) spans Anantapur, containing over 45 kimberlite pipes—volcanic conduits that carry diamonds from the mantle. A University of Madras study noted that during the Vijayanagara era (1000–1500 AD), diamonds over 25 carats were reserved for the kings.

Modern surveys by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) confirm high-potential alluvial belts in Jonnagiri, Tuggali, Maddikera, and Vajrakarur. Monsoon runoff erodes soil and reveals colluvial deposits, relics of ancient river systems like the Penna and Tungabhadra.

Golconda’s lasting lure

The frenzy traces back to Golconda’s famed mines, whose legacy includes the Kohinoor. Stretching 300 km along the Krishna-Tungabhadra basin, these fields once fed a glittering trade that enthralled the world. Today, that history fuels a dream that keeps thousands returning each year.

As the rains recede, the crowds vanish, leaving behind trampled earth and unfulfilled hopes. But for many, next monsoon will bring another chance—the promise that somewhere beneath the red soil of Andhra lies a stone that could change their lives.

With inputs from ToI