Rajasthan farmer buries Rs 5 lakh to keep it safe, forgets spot. Termites eat notes

A Rajasthan farmer found Rs 5 lakh he had buried in his field destroyed by termites after forgetting the spot. The damaged notes were reportedly refused at two SBI branches, leaving the family without savings.A Rajasthan farmer found out his hidden cash stash was infested with termites.A Rajasthan farmer’s attempt to keep his Rs 5 lakh savings safe from theft and unnecessary spending ended in a devastating discovery a year later.After forgetting where he had buried the cash in his field, the farmer eventually found the money, but by then, termites had reduced the Rs 500 notes to shreds.The incident took place in Nevai village of Balotra district. The farmer, identified as Mangilal Meghwal, had sold a plot in Pachpadra around a year ago and received Rs 5 lakh from the sale.Mangilal planned to use the money to construct a permanent room on his agricultural land. Worried that the cash could be stolen or spent unnecessarily, he put the money in a polythene bag, dug a pit in his field and buried it. However, according to the account, Mangilal's habit of drinking and forgetfulness led him to forget exactly where he had hidden the money.When he eventually needed the cash, he searched for it but could not remember the spot. The farmer lives with his family in a makeshift dwelling on the agricultural land, which covers around 10 bighas. After failing to find the money, Mangilal finally told his wife and sons about the hidden cash. The family initially struggled to believe him but eventually began digging different parts of the field in an attempt to locate it.Their search also came up empty.Watch here:About a year after the money was buried, the family began preparing the field for sowing following rainfall. One night, the polythene bag containing the cash reportedly surfaced from the ground. It went unnoticed in the darkness.The next morning, Mangilal's wife and son were repairing the fencing around the field when they spotted the bag.When they opened it, they were stunned. The bag contained the Rs 500 notes, but termites had badly damaged them, leaving the currency torn into pieces.Hoping to recover whatever value remained, the family collected the damaged notes and approached the State Bank of India branch in Pachpadra. However, the bank reportedly refused to accept the notes because of their condition.The family then went to SBI's main branch in Balotra, but they were reportedly turned away there as well.What Mangilal had buried to protect his family's savings had, after a year underground, become a pile of damaged currency, leaving his family with little more than the painful consequences of one forgotten hiding place.(With inputs from Dinesh Bohra)- EndsPublished By: Srimoyee ChowdhuryPublished On: Aug 10, 2026 10:50 IST