Russian woman with two daughters found in 'spiritual hideout' in Karnataka cave
The woman, 40-year-old Mohi (Nina Kutina), was found seated in serene meditation beside a Rudra idol inside the cave, which had been converted into a modest dwelling. Her daughters, six-year-old Preya and four-year-old Ama, were with her. The cave was surrounded by steep slopes and thick forest, far removed from human habitation.
The existence of the family came to light when a police patrol team, inspecting the area after a recent landslide, spotted clothes hanging out to dry near a rock face. Curious, the officers ventured closer—and uncovered a scene that felt straight out of a spiritual novella.
'We were stunned. The place was completely hidden, and if not for the drying clothes, we would've missed it,' an official said.
Mohi, police revealed, had arrived in India years ago on a business visa that expired in 2017. While the exact duration of her stay in the country is yet to be ascertained, officials believe she had travelled from Goa, driven by a deep fascination with Hindu philosophy and the spiritual magnetism of Gokarna.
'She was living in complete isolation, spending her days in prayer and meditation. How she and her daughters survived remains a mystery,' a senior officer added.
Police said the family had no contact with the local community and had quietly slipped into the wilderness, seeking spiritual refuge.
Mohi and her daughters have since been relocated to a nearby ashram run by a Sadhvi, where they are under care. Meanwhile, authorities have launched deportation proceedings due to her long-expired visa, even as they probe how she managed to stay under the radar for so long.
The discovery has sparked quiet curiosity across the region, a story of a foreign seeker who vanished into India's spiritual heartland, only to be found in a cave, far from the world's noise.
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