The untold story of Tirumala’s diamond crown from Antwerp
We know not what the day brings; sometimes the Lord may appear in splendorous dazzle. It was in 1982-83, when I was working as an Assistant Collector of Customs at the Madras (now Chennai) Air Cargo Complex, that a wondrous and unforgettable event occurred. While enjoying the morning cup of hot coffee and scanning the newspaper, the Appraising Officer came in, greeting and apologizing for the interruption.
He informed that a precious cargo of diamonds had arrived by air, intended for the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) from Antwerp, Belgium. To take delivery of the consignment, a team led by the FA&CAO of TTD, a high-ranking IAAS officer on deputation, and other officials were waiting outside to meet me. I immediately called them inside, wished and greeted them, and offered coffee and snacks. An interesting discussion followed with the FA&CAO.
Antwerp has been known as the diamond capital of the world for several centuries. The diamond trade in the port started nearly 500 years ago when the first rough stones were brought over from India. Gradually, local diamond traders rose to prominence with their attention to detail and exuberant selection until even the King of France, François I, started ordering his diamonds from the master cutters in Antwerp rather than in Paris. Today, 85% of the world’s rough diamonds, 50% of the polished diamonds, and 40% of industrial diamonds pass through the diamond district of Antwerp. Antwerp’s diamond trade is a diverse mix of nationalities, dominated by Jewish communities (especially Hasidic), Indians (Jain families), Lebanese (Maronite Christian), and Armenian traders, with other groups like Chinese, Russian, and Flemish, reflecting its status as a global multicultural hub. But, Indians now control almost three-quarters of Antwerp’s diamond industry, a figure that had been associated with the Jews till recently. The FA&CAO informed me that when the traders learnt that the diamonds were meant for Lord Venkateshwara, they all voluntarily and gracefully declined to take any commission!
When I queried as to why TTD did not seek a Customs duty exemption from the Ministry of Finance, an interesting revelation came. That route was explored by TTD, and the matter was taken up with the then Indian Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi. After a detailed discussion, it was concluded that granting Customs duty exemption to TTD would open up a floodgate of similar pleas by various other religious bodies. The exemption granted to TTD would be cited as a precedent, putting the government in a delicate situation. Further, there was a great security risk of hawala operators and money launderers exploiting this loophole. Finally, it was decided not pursue the plea for Customs duty exemption.
The talk then veered to the iconic TTD Executive Officer, Shri. P V R K Prasad, a distinguished IAS officer. It was under his tenure as the Executive Officer of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam that several reforms were introduced in the administration of the hill shrine, making it more pilgrim-friendly. He remained as the honorary advisor to the TTD board till his death in August 2017.
The Customs Appraiser then wanted me to inspect the diamonds in my chamber. Under tight Police security, the imported Belgian diamonds were opened for viewing on my table. It was an unbelievable dazzle of hundreds of tiny diamonds. The Customs jewellery expert was present to examine the genuineness of the goods. In addition, another expert from the renowned jewellery firm, Bapalal & Co, was requisitioned for a second opinion.
Once the experts had certified the authenticity of the goods, the next sensitive task was acceptance of the invoice value for the computation of Customs duty. Officers generally play safe by resorting to ‘Provisional Assessment’ or issuing a Show Cause Notice (SCN), in order to safeguard themselves from harassment by vigilance agencies. Since the declared value of the consignment was very high, the Appraiser was hesitant and sought my written orders in the file. I did not hesitate and ordered the acceptance of the invoice value. What came to my mind was the famous Sanskrit quote “Naham karta, Hari karta” (न अहं कर्ता हरिः कर्ता) meaning “I am not the doer, Hari (God/ Vishnu) is the doer,” emphasizing that all actions are performed by the Divine, and human actions are merely instruments of God’s will, a core concept in devotional (Bhakti) traditions to promote surrender and detachment from ego. Much later, in a book published in the year 2017, Shri P V R K Prasad used this Sanskrit phrase for the title of his book “Naaham Karta… When I saw Tirupati Balaji”.
With the completion of all Customs formalities, the precious consignment left the Air Cargo Complex, under heavy police escort, provided by Tamil Nadu Police and Andhra Police, for the last leg of the journey, to Tirumala Hills. Antwerp to Tirumala via Madras (Chennai) was an incredible journey, and I was grateful that a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity came to me to touch and feel the twinkling diamonds. At that moment, I had felt like Neil Armstrong when he collected the very first samples of Moon soil just minutes after stepping onto the lunar surface from the Apollo 11 spacecraft.
Whenever Lord Venkateshwara orders me to come to Tirumala, (You can’t visit Tirumala whenever you wish; you can only visit when the Lord chooses to see you.) the sight of the diamond-encrusted, dazzling crown still awes and inspires. There is always an unknown satisfaction arising from within, that one day, I had caressed those sparkling diamonds, gently and delicately.
As I walked back to my room, what came to mind was a famous Hindu proverb from 1306, often associated with the legendary Koh-i-noor diamond, that states: “He who owns this diamond will own the world, but will also know all its misfortunes. Only God or a woman can wear it with impunity”.
Note:
1. Text in Blue points to additional data on the topic.
2. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.
For all the latest updates, download PGurus App.
- Tryst with Lord Venkateshwara’s crown jewels - January 10, 2026
- India – A democracy in retreat? Can a mushrooming community change a democratic country? - December 18, 2025
- December IndiGo air-show 2025 - December 7, 2025
