A tall, brawny headload worker with a flowing beard and locks of hair pulled into a knob at the back of his head had always been a striking presence at the Aralumoodu market in Neyyatinkara. Even in his death, Gopan Swami,  known as Maniyan among his peers, did not cease to command attention with his family claiming that he attained 'Samadhi'.

Originally hailing from Plavila near Athiyannur in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram district, Maniyan had once been a weaver. Later, he moved with his family to a house at Cheriyakonam on a plot opposite the Aralumoodu market. Some people who had long worked with him under various labour unions always respected him. Maniyan was not the one to pick a squabble over loading rates. He turned up early for work, was industrious, spoke in a calm voice and kept to himself. The co-workers were comfortable around him.

"He would never get into fights which was quite usual for headload workers. He was satisfied with his wages. He spoke of constructing a temple and raised funds from people. He was a good person," said Abdul Salam, who had worked with Maniyan for years.

When the residents came to know that his body was interred inside a concrete chamber, many of them were not surprised. "When Maniyan's eldest child died, the body was seated inside a chamber, smeared with sacred ash and ritualistic materials were put inside the chamber. We had not seen something like that before during a funeral. It felt strange, but knowing Maniyan, we understood what he was trying to do. He was always a spiritual person," said Aji, a former headload worker who now runs a vegetable shop at Aralumoodu.

Aji started the work at the age of 18, and at that time, Maniyan was very attentive and caring, remembered Aji. "He had an appearance that aroused interest. Children used to look at him as a curious figure. He seldom cared. We used to call him by a name playfully, implying that he could scare away kids," said Aji.

Aji was shocked to know about the 'Samadhi'. "I saw it on my WhatsApp. The news of his death was shocking. I hadn't been in touch with him. When I went to his house, the gate was locked. There were other people as well, and we were told that nobody was permitted inside, and I walked away," said Aji.

Gopan had sold off his property at Cheriyakonam and purchased a plot comprising paddy fields at Aralumoodu. He built a temple using funds sourced from people and friends and later constructed a house on the same premise. The temple known as Kavuvilakom Kailasanthan used to be frequented by believers for a while. Later, restrictions on dress were imposed, which did not go down well with the residents. People from outside stopped coming to the temple but the family carried on with daily rituals.

MA Sadath, ward councillor, said that they didn't hear much from him for the past two years. When his friends inquired, they were told by the family that he was ailing and bed-ridden. Maniyan's friends said that he used to talk of his great grandfather and a blessing he received at Maruthvamala in Kanyakumari. He would take breaks from work and would visit the hills often, recollected a former co-worker.

S Prasannakumar, a long-time acquaintance of Maniyan, was present during the inquest after being called by the police. He said that there was a pungent smell of camphor when the chamber was opened. "His mouth was open, there were signs of decay on his lips. The chamber was covered with two concrete slabs. I could recognise him," said Prasannakumar.