Mangaluru: There is a deep-rooted awe and belief among the Tuluvas about the ‘daivas’. The ‘paatris’ (impersonators of deities) are belived to reveal truths behind suspicious happenings or circumstances, clarifications over which are sought by the devotees and also what future holds out for them.
The death of Usha Shetty of Jappinamogaru in suspicious circumstances at Yekkar a few days ago is still shrouded in mystery. There are rumours that she had boarded a sleek car belonging to a prominent person from her community at Kateel some time before her death, but no one has any authentic evidence.
At the same time, why she had to commit suicide – if at all it was – at such a distant place from the city is not known. Besides, her body was found in a semi-charred state. If she had resorted to self-immolation, she would have screamed and people around would have heard it. This has not happened. Instead, her body was found the next day.
The distraught father of Usha, Umesh Shetty, has sought the intercession of Kodamanittaya shrine, the Ullaya deity in particular, in order to solve the mystery. On Wednesday, he visited the shrine at Yekkar for this purpose. There is a ban on celebrations and cremation of bodies in the surroundings after the ‘Kolikunta’ ritual at the time of Yekkar fair.
Since his daughter’s body was found in a charred state, he sought the deity’s forgiveness if the rule had been violated. In response during the clairvoyance session, the deity revealed to him that he had nothing to fear. If anyone had done anything wrong, the person would not be spared of the consequences, the deity is said to have told him.
Mangaluru: Mystery Surrounds Usha Shetty’s Body Found in Semi-charred State in Yekkar