Surat: Rare rough diamonds naturally shaped like Lord Ganesha, known among diamond traders as “Crorepati Bappas”, are drawing attention during the Ganesh festival in Surat, where owners have limited public darshan and deployed extensive security measures to protect the high-value stones.Unlike traditional Ganesha idols that are immersed at the end of the festival, these naturally formed rough diamonds remain with their owners throughout the year. Diamond businessmen who discovered these rare stones during their years in the trade keep them in undisclosed locations and high-security vaults because of their significant value.A 27.74-carat diamond Ganesha owned by diamond businessman Rajesh Pandav will be displayed for darshan on only one day this year.“I decided to put it for darshan only on Sep 17, in honour of the birthday of PM Narendra Modi. It will not be displayed on other days so that we do not have to have security arrangements for all 10 days,” said Pandav.He has reduced the display period from the full 10-day festival to a single day this year.Kanu Asodariya, a collector of rare stones and diamond businessman, will also allow darshan of three naturally Ganesha-shaped rough diamonds to a limited number of visitors.“Darshan is only for limited people and limited time due to security reasons. These three naturally Ganesha-shaped rough diamonds, ranging in size from large to medium to relatively small, are extremely rare,” Asodariya told TOI.His collection includes Ganesha-shaped rough diamonds weighing 182.53 carats, 26.53 carats and 8.01 carats.Pandav said his 27.74-carat diamond is kept in a locker under surveillance cameras. During the festival, additional security personnel and attendants are deployed to guard the stone and manage visitors.Asodariya said he regularly changes the location of these three diamonds instead of storing them permanently at one site.“These diamonds are of high value due to their shape and I need to take extra care. I change the location of these diamonds every few days,” said Asodariya.Pandav said maintaining security during public display had become increasingly demanding over the years.“I had to deny darshan to a minister who was visiting the city as it required us to bring the Ganesha out,” said Pandav.For his collection, Asodariya has installed three layers of CCTV recording systems that cover all directions and store footage in different formats and locations. The surveillance setup can also be monitored through a mobile phone.
