What began as an ordinary day of work for a group of women laborers in Chengalayi, Kannur district, Kerala, quickly turned into an extraordinary event when they stumbled upon a buried container while digging a rainwater harvesting pit in a private rubber plantation on Thursday. Initially mistaking it for a bomb, the women maintained a safe distance. Their fears then shifted to concerns of black magic, known locally as "koodothram."
However, curiosity and courage prevailed, leading the workers to unearth a treasure trove filled with precious jewels and old coins. Although the value and historical significance of the find can only be determined after a detailed examination by the archaeology department, locals already regard it as an invaluable discovery.
Upon learning of the find, police promptly arrived at the scene and secured the container. The unearthed items were subsequently presented to a local court. As the story made headlines on Saturday, the astonished women recounted their discovery. "We saw something glittering inside the pit...it was an old container. We first thought that it was a bomb. Then we suspected whether it was some koodothram (black magic)," one of the women explained, as per a report on PTI. To their amazement, the container held gold and silver coins, precious beads, and "pathakka" (lockets).
A police official on site confirmed that all recovered items were handed over to the court and that the Archaeological department had been notified. "We have already informed the Archaeological department about the discovery. It is up to them to carry out more searches in the area. Their examination will reveal the antiquity of the discovered articles," he stated.
Adding to the intrigue, locals reported finding three more silver coins and a gold bead on the same property on Saturday morning.
ALSO READ: Vizhinjam Port Inauguration: Credit Battle Erupts Between LDF-UDF In Kerala