Belthangady:  Committing suicide in Dharmasthala? Sounds not possible and unacceptable in such a holy place, but a couple did just that in a lodge at Dharmasthala, hanging in the lodge on their doomsday on Monday night. Three children survive.

Balakrishnan(45) and Sharada(38), natives of Chanthady in Kanhangad of Kasaragod district now in Kerala, have 3 more children, now orphanised, and taken to Belthangady Police station in broken conditions and tears.

The family was on a pilgrimage. The reason for the extreme step taken in a holy place is not known, but there is a parting note left in Malayalam in the lodge. They went to the temple on Monday evening. The dead bodies were found at 10-30 AM on March 27(today).

Balakrishnan(45)had a ticket bound for Dubai as on March 28, Wednesday. He had worked in Dubai earlier.

Police said some relatives of this family are rushing to Dharmasthala today, to take custody of 3 boys at the police station, aged 12, 9 and 6, children of the dead couple.