A family in India got an unexpected surprise during their Diwali cleaning this year. While tidying up their home, they discovered a bundle of discontinued Rs 2,000 notes hidden inside an old DTH box, sparking both laughter and confusion online.

The story came to light after a Reddit user shared the discovery on the forum r/indiasocial, with the post titled “Biggest Diwali Safai of 2025.”

The user wrote, “During Diwali cleaning, my mom found Rs 2 lakh in old Rs 2,000-rupee notes, hidden inside an old DTH box, probably kept there by my desi dad back in demonetisation times. We haven’t told him yet. And please suggest how to proceed further.”

A photo shared with the post shows a thick stack of Rs 2,000 notes, believed to have been forgotten since the demonetisation period.

The post quickly went viral, drawing amused reactions from users who joked that the father would soon receive his own “Diwali surprise.”

While many found humour in the situation, some offered serious suggestions. One user pointed out that the family could still try to deposit the notes at the RBI’s main office in Mumbai or send them through a local post office.

However, as per the user’s note, “only an amount up to Rs 20,000 is accepted in a day, following the lengthy procedure,” meaning the family would need to make several trips to deposit the entire sum.

The Rs 2,000 note was introduced by the Narendra Modi government in 2016, soon after the demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.

However, under the RBI’s Clean Note Policy, the Rs 2,000 denomination was withdrawn from circulation on May 19, 2023. People were given until October 7, 2023, to exchange or deposit the notes.

According to official RBI guidelines, those who still possess Rs 2,000 notes can send them to any of the 19 RBI issue offices across India or mail them through India Post for exchange or deposit.