This Andhra Pradesh town sees diamond hunters at work during monsoons

Who doesn’t like owning a few dazzling and luminous diamonds? But as has been said, the most priceless things come after the most arduous effort. The same is true in the case of Sattenapalli town of Andhra Pradesh’s Palnadu district. In the region, the monsoons bring with them a quest for diamonds. As per people’s beliefs, a single diamond encapsulates the power to transform their lives for the better.

It is for this reason that diamond hunters eagerly await the tough monsoon rains as this leads them to coloured stones and diamonds. The toiling takes place in the soil on real-estate plots near Basavanna Creek on the outskirts of the town.

Significance of the plots

Basavamma Vagu, an urban suburb along Piduguralla road, once had a real-estate development project. Under this project, red clay from the Bellamkonda area was utilised in road-making. As per reports, only a few people know this information and now they are looking for diamonds to test their luck. The real-estate plots contain the red soil sourced from Bellamkonda. The belief is that since the soil brought from Bellamkonda contains gems or coloured stones, people continue their digging endeavors in anticipation of discovering valuable treasures.

Heavy rains make space, making it easier for local men who venture out to bring home some hidden treasures from the soil. Not only Sattenpalli’s residents, people from nearby villages of Narasaraopet, Chilakaluripet, Ongolu and Vinukonda have started reaching the spot in large numbers in order to try a hand at diamond-hunting on this location.

The precious finds

As soon as the precious stones are found, they are sold to diamond traders in the area. A number of factors like weight, colour and type determine its worth, with calculations usually made in carats. Not just luck, but Kolluru in Bellamkonda actually witnessed several instances of diamond findings. Most people even hired labourers to help them dig faster.

The historically rich place

Several theories attempt to explain the diamond’s origins. It is widely believed that it came from the Kollur Mine in the Guntur District of Andhra Pradesh, according to News 18. The Kollur Mine reached its zenith during the 16th and 17th centuries and contributed to Golconda, the Qutb Shahi dynasty’s capital, becoming a prominent global hub for diamonds.

The region gained prominence after being ruled by various empires, including the Vijayanagara Empire, the Qutb Shahi Kingdom, the Mughals, and the Asaf Jahi Nizams.