CHITRADURGA: This could well be a ‘life after death’ story. The grave was dug, the family and villagers present and he was buried at Chitranayakanahalli of Challakere taluk. This was 50 years ago when the man, Sanna Eranna, was about 30 years old.
Till a fortnight ago, the family didn’t have any reason to think otherwise. But when they got the news that Eranna, who is now 80 years old, was very much alive in a village in Andhra Pradesh, they at first refused to believe. But after several twists and turns, the family is now reunited and celebrated Deepavali in a big way.
Though there are several missing links, the real-life story of Eranna is no less than a reel story. Eranna who vanished from his native village is said to have suffered a loss of memory all these years. But when some of his relatives went to Yapalaparthy village in AP, where he now resides, to buy manure, he not only spotted them but identified them. No one knows what jogged his memory all of a sudden.
According to the relatives, he recounted some incidents from his ‘past’ life. By now, they were convinced that he was indeed Eranna. They facilitated his return to Chitranayakanahalli. Villagers say that Eranna suffered from a chronic disease and died and they buried him half a century ago. Needless to say, they are delighted to have him back.
Eranna told TNIE that all these years he has been living with the Jogi tribals in Yapalaparthy village with two wives and has several grandchildren. He doesn’t know about how he came back to life or walked out of the grave.
“Till I met my relatives, I didn’t know that I hailed from Karnataka. Then I came to Chitranayakanahalli and met my wife Erajji (his first wife),” he said. Asked about the exact month or year of the death, neither the villagers nor the family could recollect it. They only know that Eranna ‘died’ 50 years ago.
His wife Erajji at first was not convinced. But when he asked her about her wound on her shoulder she got when a bull attacked her, she showed him the scars. She then was satisfied that Eranna was her husband.
“I am too shocked. For, I was present at his burial. Today, I am happy to see him alive. I want to him to live happily wherever he wants,” Erajji said.