Diamond Mines Near Raichur

Abstract

Information relating to diamond mining in Raichur region (Karnataka State, India), as recorded by some foreign and Indian chroniclers in the fifteenth century, is brougbt to light and critically analysed. The places Alibenchi and Nelaha near Raichur are identified as the sites where ancients worked for diamonds. Supporting evidence is furnished by the presence of one diamond, known as 'Raichur Diamond', in the Museum of the Directorate of Department of Mines and Geology (Government of Andhra Pradesh), Hyderabad. The geological implications of this finding are discussed and a detailed geological study of the region for locating kimberlite pipes is suggested.