Daria-i-Noor: This Muslim country to unveil Koh-i-Noor’s ‘pink sister’, kept hidden for 117 years, mined from…
Koh-I-Noor’s ‘Pink Sister’: We have heard several stories of Koh-i-Noor, how it was mined from the Kollur mine, Golconda region of Andhra Pradesh, and how the Britishers acquired it after the Second Anglo-Sikh War. The diamond, which used to be the pride of India, is currently set in the Crown of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. But do you know about Darya-e-Noor, which was also mined from the same region and belonged to India? Today’s story is about Darya-e-Noor, which was kept secret for more than 100 years. The Muhammad Yunus government of Bangladesh is planning to unveil the shiny precious stone. Darya-e-Noor has been kept locked in a secret vault of a government bank in Bangladesh for decades, but now it is about to be revealed to the world. Let’s know more about Darya-e-Noor.
Was Darya-E-Noor Mortgaged For A Loan?
A high-level committee led by Bangladesh’s Cabinet Secretary, Abdur Rashid is going to inspect the diamond which was kept in the Sonali Bank vault for 117 years. The story of the diamond is linked to Nawab Salimullah of Dhaka. Cash-strapped Salimullah pledged the jewels, including Darya-e-Noor, to the then government of the then-former Bengal and Assam province. In exchange he got a loan of 1.4 million rupees.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Darya-e-Noor was hidden in Bangladesh for over 100 years.
- The gem was pledged by Nawab Salimullah in exchange for a loan of Rs 1.4 million.
- It has been locked in Sonali Bank’s vault for 117 years.
- Bangladesh government is planning to unveil Darya-e-Noor, the long-lost ‘pink sister’ of Koh-i-Noor.
If the average annual inflation is considered over 117 years, this amount could be around 1,320-1,348 crore Bangladeshi taka in 2025. As per reports, the loan was to be repaid over 30 years at an interest rate of 3 percent (annual interest rate). But the dilemma is the loan has not been repaid. As a result, the diamond has been kept under government protection.
Irony is Darya-E-Noor is mentioned in the official records, but has never been seen.
From Where Darya-E-Noor Was Extracted?
According to several reports, Darya-i-Noor is a 26-carat diamond. It has a rectangular surface and a table shape. Like Kohinoor, Darya was also mined from the Golconda mines.
Another similarity between the diamonds is that Darya-E-Noor was owned by the great Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh. He used to wear both diamond armlets.
After Singh’s death, the British took possession of it. The Darya-i-Noor lost its appeal to the British Crown and was returned to India.
In 1862, the diamond was purchased at an auction by Khawaja Alimullah, who was the first Nawab of Dhaka.
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