What A Windfall...

Until today, Khohar village in Alwar Rajasthan was not very well known. It became well known when a farmer from that village sat on the hot seat in KAUN BANEGA CROREPATI and won Rs 5 crore and won a windfall.

The story goes thus:

The people of Khohar village in Rajasthan were suffering from an acute water crisis. The ground water table had depleted and youngsters were migrating, as harvest yields were low. This is when KBC happened to a small farmer of the village and he changed the destiny of the village. Khohar village in Rajasthan was battling acute water shortage. Many youngsters were migrating to the cities in search of alternate forms of livelihood. The culprit in all the cases was the acute water shortage in the area. The region received very little rainfall. Moreover, 78% of its water was saline. Villagers faced problems with regard to water for irrigation and for arranging water for day-to-day activities.

The water level in the village had depleted alarmingly over the years. Villagers who had tube wells somehow managed to cultivate their land twice a year. However, those who did not have tube wells had to depend on the rains or had to purchase water from tube well owners. One such farmer was Hariya. He had a large family of two brothers, their wives, their children and his parents. Therefore, his family needed more food and water not only for drinking but also for bathing and other daily activities. When he was experiencing all these difficulties, Hariya was silently resolving to rid his family of the problems.

At this time, he started following the program Kaun Banega Crorepati on Sony television. He already had Amitabh Bacchan as his idol. Therefore, he watched the program every day in order to see his idol in front of the camera. However, he had a larger goal to sit on the hot seat one day and make a difference in his family's lives. He decided to do it by participating in the game and winning Rs 5 crore to install a tube well in his household. He started sending SMSs during the second season. However, his chance to meet Amitabh Bacchan came only in the 5th season of the game show. His main goal was to meet his idol. He did not fancy winning anything.

When his wife received the call from the KBC organizers announcing his selection for the 5th season of the game show, they were overjoyed. However, he only had an idea that he wanted to meet his idol. He did not fancy winning any money from his outing on the KBC sets. Little did he know at that time that he would win Rs 5 crore on KBC and get installed a tube well in his household? Hariya entered the contest. The contest host opened the game with a very easy question. Hariya answered it with aplomb. Then came the question where the time for answering the question changed. Until the sixth question, he did not have to take any life-line. He took one life-line in the sixth question.

After that he went on the take all his life lines by the question which would win him Rs 1 crore. At the end of answering the question of Rs 1 crore value, he began perspiring profusely. This was when his idol gave him his handkerchief. Hariya wiped his brow with the hanky. He then proceeded to answer the question for Rs 5 crore. He had no life-line remaining. However, he knew the answer to the question and he could win Rs 5 crore at the end of answering it correct. Thus, he could win a windfall due to his participation in KBC. What a windfall? He exclaimed when his idol handed him the cheque of Rs 5 crore.

After receiving the amount he heaved a sigh of relief. He could now solve a number of his problems with the amount. Moreover, he had got a chance to see his idol Amitabh Bacchhan. He felt that the Rs 5 crore was a bonus and the real prize was him being photographed with his idol. This is how he netted a windfall to change his life and that of his family's.