An uncut diamond looking like a Ganesh idol at a Surat businessman's home is drawing a large number of devotees. Unlike most idols, this tiny one isn't immersed as the value of the precious stone is pegged at Rs 500 crore.
Rajesh Pandav, who lives in Katargam locality of the city, said he had bought a piece of rough diamond for Rs 29,000 in 2005. It had arrived in India as part of an auction from Mbuzi mine in Congo that year. "When I opened the packet, the diamond looked like a Lord Ganesh idol," said Pandav.
He took the diamond home and his family decided to worship it every Ganesh festival. It is 24.11 mm tall and 16.49 mm wide, made up of 27.74 carat.
"On the insistence of the local industry association, it was displayed at 'Sparkle', the annual exhibition for the diamond industry in Surat in 2016. Since then it has got wide publicity," said the businessman.
Stressing that the Lord had blessed him, Pandav said he was a diamond trader when he bought the rough diamond. "Now, I have a small polishing unit. You get such things only if you have faith in God. The shape of Ganesh is also rare. It has a trunk on the right. Moreover, it is natural. There is no human intervention," said Pandav. The family sprinkles the water from river Tapi as part of their 'immersion' ritual.
Pandav said many people have offered to buy the idol, but he and his family have no such plan. The family does not offer prayer to the idol on a daily basis. "We keep it in the safe and take it out only on Ganesh festival."