We Were Happy: Russian Woman Explains Why She Stayed in Gokarna Cave with Kids

A Russian woman, Nina Kutina, recently made headlines after being discovered living with her two daughters inside a cave on Ramatirtha Hill in Gokarna, Karnataka. Far from a tale of distress, Nina describes the experience as a deliberate choice driven by love for nature.

Speaking to ANI, she said, "We have a lot of experience staying in nature and we were not dying. I did not bring my children to die in the jungle. They were very happy." Nina said she had lived in the forests of about 20 countries, and that her cave dwelling in Gokarna was close to a village, not in deep isolation.

Her presence was discovered during a routine police patrol following a landslide. Officers found sarees and clothes drying near the cave, which led them to inspect the area. That's when they came across the Russian national and her children.

Police officials were taken aback by the family's survival setup - plastic sheets for bedding and instant food supplies. Despite the cave's remoteness, Nina said they were close enough to buy food and swim in a nearby waterfall.

"I chose to live like this because we love nature," Nina reiterated.

However, controversy surrounds her visa status. Authorities report that Nina came to India on a business visa in 2016, which expired in 2017. Nina disputes this, claiming, "We don't have a valid visa now, but it expired only a short time ago. After 2017, we visited four other countries and returned."

The incident has sparked conversation online about off-grid living, parenting in nature, and foreigners overstaying in India.

The local administration is now verifying Nina's immigration history and evaluating the safety and legal implications of her lifestyle choice.