Odisha man’s miserly life stuns all after death

Dambaru Gorada, a frugal government worker in Odisha, left behind a hidden fortune of nearly ₹1 crore after his death.

All his life, Dambaru Gorada — a sweeper-cum-attendant — lived being a penny-pincher. In his government quarter in Odisha’s Malkangiri district, he chose to live without electricity, rarely bathed at home to conserve water, and hardly cooked to save every possible rupee. A solitary life, lived quietly and far from public attention.

But in death, Gorada has become the talk of the State. Over the past few days, headlines across Odisha have chronicled the astonishing discovery of cash stashed in the most unexpected corners of his modest home. Preliminary estimates suggest his savings could be close to ₹1 crore. Unmarried and with no known family, he has left behind a fortune that, for now, has no claimant.

Five days ago, Gorada died of a heart attack at the District Headquarters Hospital in Malkangiri. At the time of death, ₹27,000 cash was found from his pocket. When police and hospital staff broke open his government quarter near the old hospital building, what they found left everyone stunned.

Cash was stashed in cots, hidden in racks, and even stuffed inside sacks of coal. Some currency notes had been shredded into tiny pieces by rats. Alongside the decaying currency, gold ornaments were also recovered.

Gorada had just 40 days left before retiring from government service. A native of Kantasore village in neighbouring Nabarangpur district, he had spent most of his life working in Malkangiri. Neighbours say they hadn’t seen any relatives visit him in years.

“He drew a salary more than sufficient for someone living alone and without any family responsibilities,” said Chudamani Nayak, a hospital staffer. “But he neither ate well nor lived in a proper house. In the end, the wealth he hoarded means nothing.”

Police and hospital staff also discovered a rope cot in the dilapidated staff quarter. According to them, it may have originally been used as a makeshift stretcher by people rushing a patient to the hospital from a remote area. After being abandoned, it was believed to have been repurposed by Gorada for his own use. Half-burnt candles were also found on a wooden stool nearby.