Man makes culvert pipe his home

“I am being immortalised into a godly man. I will come outside this pipe after three days. Afterwards, whatever I touch will turn into gold...,” murmurs 40-year-old Santhosh, who lives inside an abandoned culvert pipe at Adavi in S K Megal village near Kalasa for the past 75 days.

Many villagers still could not ascertain the claims of Santhosh that he is acquiring spiritual power. Meanwhile, Santhosh, who has lost his mental balance, continues to live inside the 2 ft diameter culvert pipe eating locally available fruits and drinking water.

Santhosh believes that he may not get supernatural powers, if he takes bath. As a result, he did not take bath for the past several days. He refuses to abandon his ‘abode,’ even when villagers request him earnestly to come out of the pipe. Moreover, he refuses to speak to his visitors too. He comes out of the pipe once or twice in a day. A local resident Hadlu Bhuvanendra is serving him food.

A zamindar

According to villagers, Santhosh was not a pauper. He was the only legal heir to the family property, whcih include 14 acres of land and an arecanut farm in S K Megal village.
He had lost his father 10 years ago, while his mother died 5 years back. Meanwhile, his wife had abandoned him, the very next day of his marriage. Altogether, he started losing his mental balance, when tragedies struck him one by one. He stopped working in his farm and later sold his house too. Finally, he took refuge inside the pipe, after wandering in Kalasa town for some time.

Santhosh still believes that he can convert anything into gold. “I will build a temple here. I will offer annasantharpane (meals) to devotees. I will organise mass marriage...,” he continues his murmur as none is there to look after him or treat him for his mental disorder.