Russian woman not an anomaly; foreigners often live in Gokarna caves

The coastal Karnataka town of Gokarna, known as the Southern Kashi, attracts everyone with its natural beauty. Recently, it has attracted even more attention because of a 40-year-old Russian woman being found to be living in a cave with her two small children. But is she an exception? Locals say no.

Thousands of tourists from European countries such as the USA, Russia, Israel, Italy, and Sweden come to Gokarna’s beaches to enjoy nature freely. Among them, many overstay their tourist visas.

Why tourists prefer caves

Gokarna has more than eight caves located on the hills next to Om Beach and on those above Kudle Beach. Among these, Ramateertha and Gogarbha are significant, and there are other smaller caves nearby. It is common for foreign tourists to meditate here.

Local resident Sujay Shetty told The Federal that those seeking solitude and those into drugs often stay in the caves. So do those who overstay their visas, those facing financial problems, and those who want to live independently, free of rules.

Also read: Russian woman, daughters found in Gokarna cave to be deported

Foreign tourists coming to Gokarna after the monsoon stay for four to five months. They enjoy their time in the caves as long as they are there. If they opt for hotel rooms, resorts, or rental houses, they must provide identification, fill in forms, pay high rents, and cannot consume drugs, as they are under the watch of hotel staff and CCTV cameras. To avoid these hassles, they choose caves for their stay, hotelier Nagaraj Naik told The Federal.

Fewer tourists after COVID

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Gokarna was flooded with foreign tourists. Every year, more than 10,000 tourists would land in Gokarna. Hotels, resorts, rental rooms — and caves — were fully booked. Not only that, but they also used to stay in makeshift huts made of coconut leaves. Business was booming.

But after COVID, the number of foreign tourists has significantly decreased, and business has also declined. But the case of Nina Kutina, the Russian woman living in a cave with her two children, has brought Gokarna under the international spotlight once again, local teacher Manjunath Bhatt told The Federal.

Among the tourists, a large number of people respect the religious purity of the place and lead simple lives. They find mental peace by living in devotion and meditation. However, some have caused trouble by doing drugs and getting involved in minor criminal activities, said local businessman Ravi Naik.

Foreign tourists living in Gokarna’s caves had not been newsworthy so far. In 2018, too, a Russian tourist was caught living in a cave after her visa had expired.

She had also lived in Ramateertha Cave — the same as Nina Kutina and her children. During the monsoon, when it rains heavily, the soil in this area becomes loose, increasing the risk of landslides. Additionally, during the rainy season, poisonous creatures like snakes and scorpions also take shelter in the caves.

The cave is also cold due to the rainwater at the base of the hill. Living in such conditions can pose a risk to life, local resident Mahesh Gowda pointed out. It is mostly because of the children living in such circumstances that the news has invited so much attention.

Also read: Gokarna incident: Russian woman's partner says he was not allowed to meet children in Tumakuru

Need for CCTV cameras

According to G Krishna Murthy, Additional Superintendent of Police of Uttara Kannada district, living in caves during the rainy season is difficult. After October, tourists tend to flock to the caves in larger numbers. There are plans to install CCTV cameras to monitor the movements of such foreign tourists, he said.

In fact, a small part of Ramateertha cave collapsed during the last rainy season. In light of this and due to the increased rainfall this year, Gokarna police station inspector SS Sridhar had sent two of his personnel to assess the risk of landslides at Ramateertha hill, and it is during that patrol that they found Nina and her daughters living there.

Deportation imminent

Nina and her two children, 6-year-old Prema and 4-year-old Ama, were taken to the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Bengaluru, where officials clamped restrictions on her movement. Currently, they are being held at a foreigners’ protection centre in Tumkur.

The Russian embassy has been informed. After receiving instructions from there, Nina and her children will be sent back to their homeland, G Krishna Murthy told The Federal.

(This story was originally published in The Federal Karnataka)