Mahadeva had buried around a thousand bodies when he had to bury his "Thatha". After facing this personal loss, Mahadeva took it upon himself to garland each body he buried and accord whatever respect that he could to the deceased. Although he was paid Rs. 200 for each body, he earned only Rs. 25 per body after covering all expenses required for burial. All the bodies he buried had to be autopsied, certified and buried properly. He had a horse-driven cart that helped him in ferrying bodies, and he operated in relative obscurity until the Kannada magazine "Sudha" discovered him and published a story about his life. He was also the subject of a television documentary. This exposure lead to him being awarded the title of "Kaliyuga Trivikrama", making his proper name "Trivikrama" Mahadeva.