MANGALORE, May 3: Local people have unearthed an underground path (Suranga in Kannada) at Dadda Manjanakatte in Badaga Yedapadavu village near here on Saturday. The Suranga was unearthed when they were digging an open well.

The well was being constructed by one Mr. Venkappa Gowda for drinking water. The diggers had reached a depth of 18 feet when one of the diggers found a cavity which further took him to a depth of five feet on one of the corners of the well. About three diggers investigated further and found out that the Suranga extended further but they did not investigate further.

Some enthusiasts in the village came to see the cavity and took an expedition into the Suranga which took them underground for over 500 meters, but they too found it tough going as the oxygen started depleting and heat also became unbearable.

A shocked Venkappa Gowda was already on the verge to tears as his dream of getting drinking water crashed before his own eyes due to this cavity. He had taken a loan of Rs. 25,000 from the Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project to dig this well.

Infact there are two different paths - one going towards West and another to the South. The Suranga can lead to a place called Nellithirtha which is a pilgrimage centre that has a large tank, say some villagers.

People now give different versions, they say that Suranga might lead to Nellithirtha and there are chances that the water of Nellithirtha could fill up Venkappa Gowda's well if the Suranga could be connected, somehow all of which appears to be a possibility but a distant one at that.