Puttur: After Mahishasura, turn of Bhagavath to suffer double whammy!

Daijiworld Media Network – Puttur (SP)

Puttur, Feb 19: After the amusing incident in Byndoor in Kundapur taluk that left a Yakshagana Mahishasura heaving and puffing after he was inadvertently taken away by an auto driver in whose vehicle he wanted to take some rest, it was the turn of Yakshagana Bhagavath to be at the receiving end.

We keep hearing stories of people targetted by thieves, but rarely do we come across people who lose their belongings to two separate thieves in quick succession. Such an incident occurred at Uppinangady in the taluk on Monday February 17, leaving the victim disappointed, disgruntled, and fuming.

An artiste working as Yakshagana Bhagavath named Anekal Ganapati Bhat from Bajattoor village was at the receiving end of this cruel fate. Bhat also doubles up as an assistant priest for auspicious occasions. Over the years, he had cultivated the habit of leaving a bag containing his belongings inside a shop near Uppinangady post office before completing tasks on hand in the town. On Monday too he kept his bag amidst gunny bags full of provisions in the shop, before proceeding to complete his engagements.

To his chagrin, Bhat found on his return, that this bag had gone missing mysteriously. He says this bag contained Rs 5,000 in cash, an electronic harmonium, a sari, some other clothes, diary, spectacles, and some other things. On verifying the closed circuit footage of a neighbouring shop, he found that a youth had lifted the bag.

Buoyed by the prospects of finding the thief on the basis of this footage, Bhat launched a manhunt himself. He left another bag he was carrying at the shop, and roamed around the town, meeting people and making enquiries about the thief. He strived for the entire day, but failed to achieve any success. When he returned to the shop disappointed, he found to his dismay that his second bag had also gone missing from the shop.

Bhat again resorted to check CCTV camera footage. The footage revealed that the second theft was committed by a woman.

The Bhagavath, frustrated at the two successive setbacks he suffered on the same day in the hands of two different people, cursed his fate, but hoped that he would be able to at least get back the items related to his profession as Bhagavath, as they are of no use to the thieves.

Kundapur: Sleepy Mahishasura goes 'missing', gives auto driver a demonic fright!