Panna Diamond Mines

About the Panna diamond mines

Diamonds have been associated with Panna for centuries, and the district is still the one place in Asia where a diamond mine is in active production. The working mine is at Majhgawan, in the interior of Panna district and roughly 55 km from Khajuraho. It is operated by the Diamond Mining Project of the National Mineral Development Corporation, a central government undertaking, which recovers stones from diamond-bearing rock and gravel on site.

The wider diamond belt runs north-east to south-west, from the Paharikhera side towards Majhgawan. Alongside the organised mine, shallow leases are worked by individuals across the district, and recovered stones are declared at the government diamond office in Panna town, where they are valued and sold at auction. That combination, an industrial mine plus a long tradition of small-scale digging, is what gives Panna its reputation as a treasure district.

A visit is an industrial and geological one rather than a scenic one. What you take away is an understanding of how diamonds sit in the rock, how the ore is crushed and washed, and how the recovered stones are graded.

What a visit covers

The Majhgawan mine

The working mine is an open pit with a processing plant beside it, where diamond-bearing rock is crushed and the heavy fraction washed out before stones are picked. Access is controlled by NMDC and is not open on a walk-in basis.

The shallow leases

Across the district, small plots are dug and washed by hand by individual leaseholders, usually in the dry season. These are easier to see from the roadside and show how the stones were traditionally recovered.

Panna's diamond office

Stones found on private leases are declared, weighed and valued here, and are sold at periodic government auctions. It is the point where the district's diamonds enter the market.

Planning your visit

This is the one place of interest in Panna that cannot be treated as a turn-up-and-see stop. The mine is a secured industrial site, so any visit needs to be arranged in advance.

• Permission to enter the NMDC mine must be sought from the operator ahead of time; confirm before you build a day around it.
• Photography inside the mine area is restricted.
• Expect dust, heavy vehicles and no shade. Closed shoes and a cap are sensible.
• The road in from the Khajuraho side takes well over an hour, so allow a half day.

Best time to visit

October to March is the practical window, when the roads are dry and the heat is manageable. The small private leases are also worked mainly in the dry months, so there is more to see then. Avoid the monsoon, when unsurfaced approach roads turn difficult and open workings fill with water.