Wreaths laid at the burial site of eight-year-old Dikshal, who died after a suspected snake bite at his makeshift home in Chirayinkeezhu, Thiruvananthapuram. | Photo credit: NIRMAL HARINDRAN
An isolated hut made of rusted aluminum sheets and scavenged cardboard stands precariously along the marshy banks of the backwaters of Kadinamkulam in Azhoor near Chirayinkeezhu in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram district.
The dwelling consists of only two small rooms and a narrow hall with dishes, garbage and firewood scattered around the perimeter. Inside, the air is thick with the smell of damp earth and forest smoke. Outside, 38-year-old Dileep stares bleakly at a fresh pile of dirt where half a dozen wreaths wilt in the midday sun.
Published – 01 May 2026 0:32 IST
