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Mad on a treasure hunt

D Jose in Thiruvananthapuram

Ninety is an age for people to rest and prepare for the next world. But not for Mathan Kannan, who believes he will not go from this world without stumbling upon a hidden treasure in his two-acre plot at Kannur in north Kerala.

True to his belief, he is digging well after well for the last 50 years. He doesn't exactly remember how many wells he has dug till now. It could be 25 or a little more. The old man has not been successful in unearthing the treasure from the many wells he has dug in his yard at Vesala village near Kannur. But this has not deterred him.

He has picked up his spade and axe recently for making yet another attempt to locate the hidden treasure.

The hunt for the treasure started after he got a 'divine revelation' some time in 1948 that a chest containing invaluable treasure is hidden in his plot. Kannan, who was an ordinary farmer till then, immediately asked his wife and two children to vacate the place. When they refused to move out, he warned them that the divine voice had also told him that anybody who resisted him will die. The death of one of the children a year later forced the rest of the family to quit.

He has not bothered about them since then and has been single-mindedly pursuing the treasure. He does not allow his neighbours or friends to visit his place.

Kannan started the digging spree all by himself, as he had no faith in others. It has not been easy digging the wells alone. As age started catching up, the old man reduced the radius of his wells. Now he also takes more time to complete a well.

Kannan maintains a strict work schedule. He starts work early in the morning and stops by afternoon, when he moves to the next toddy shop for his daily liquor quota. Incidentally, he claims that the work and the liquor have stood him in good stead. He has never needed the help of a doctor till now. He doesn't smoke and chew tobacco.

He keeps the traditional lamp burning while digging the well. Kannan has made a system for locking the well at the end of the day's work. This is to ensure that others do not sneak in and get away with the treasure.

He closes the well once it reaches water level. The old man, who knows a little bit of magic, conducts some pujas before closing the well. After the puja he drinks a glass of water and distributes it to people who need it.

Kannan does not know what to do if he fails to find the treasure. Kannan is doubtful whether the treasure has moved to the next yard. However, he is optimistic that he will stumble upon the treasure one day.

The neighbours, who treat him as a maverick, fear his doubt that the treasure may have moved to the next yard may cause problems for them. They feel he may sneak into their yard one day.

Kannan has been raising the money for meeting his expenses by selling trees he has on his two-acre plot.

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