Sullia: District Commissioner A B Ibrahim has ordered to shift Kenchappa Gowda who is living in the heart of a deep jungle in Sullia to a rehabilitation centre in Mangaluru.

                                  Kenchappa Gowda lives in forest like a Stone Age man for the last 48 years

Recently, Newskarnataka.com had carried a report on Kenchappa living in the forest. The DC after reading reports on Gowda had asked Sullia Tahshildar to submit a detailed report. In the report, Tahshildar had mentioned that Kenchappa has been living in the deep forest for the last 48 years. He is unmarried and he refused even though his relatives urged him to shift to their house. He has no demands and there is no specific reason as to why he has decided to live in the forest, Tahshildar stated.

Following report, DC has directed district social welfare assistant director to shift him to Pachanady rehabilitation centre and provide him medical aid and look after him. He has asked Sullia Tahshildar’s support in this regard.

Kenchappa has been living in the heart of a deep jungle in Baledi of Miyodi in Markanja village of Sullia, about 86 kms from Mangaluru – like a Stone Age man for the last 48 years. Clad in just a codpiece, Kenchappa’s little world is confined to the sprawling forest of Baledi Reserved Forest and a dilapidated structure made of wood and coconut leaves, that he calls home.

Born to Kudanekodi Doddanna Gowda and Durgamma, as long as he lived in the ‘civilised society’, he worked as an agri worker. Kenchappa was only 23 when he decided to renounce the life that he was leading and venture into wild.

For the pangs of stomach, Kenchappa visits the nearby villages once in a while, otherwise forest feeds him enough. Government schemes, politics, parties, religion – nothing really matters to Kenchappa, who is happy and contented in the lap of Mother Nature and all the efforts from family members to bring him back has failed.