A staff saved him from snake bite

He was asleep when Lord Hari came in his dream and asked hi to stop working as a clerk. The Lord directed the man to approach Jagannatha Dasa of Manvi and take instructions from him.

Lord Hari also told the man that he should become a disciple of Jagannatha Dasa and become a Haridasa. When the dream ended, the man got up and he determined to follow his dream.

The man went to Jagannatha Dasa who then was living in Manvi. He served Jagannatha Dasa devotedly for twelve years. One day, he was ruing his fate at having to spend 12 years when Jagannatha Dasa came to him and said he had asked him to stay back here as he would have otherwise died. He then gave him a staff and warned him that he would be bitten by a snake. However, he would live of he kept the staff on the wound. He then blessed Narasimha and asked him to leave.

Narasimha then took leave of Jagannatha Dasa and came under the influence of Hundekara Dasa or Srisha Vittala. He was given the ankita Sreesha Vittala Dasa by Hundekar Dasa. When a snake bit him, he remembered the words of Jagannatha Dasa and kept the staff on the wound. Sreesha Vittala Dasa survived the snake bite. 

He then settled down in Kuntoji village on the banks of the Tungabhadra.

After staying for some time in Kuntoji, he made Kampli his home. Kampli too was on the banks of the Tungabhadra. By then, this man had earned name and fame as Kuntoji Dasa or Narasimha Dasa or Kuntoji Narasimha Dasa. He was also known as Shreesha or Srisha Vittala Dasa.

Born in Kanakagiri, his father was Thamanna, a clerk. Thamanna had performed seve and pooje to the famous Narasimha of Kanakagiri to beget a son, whom he named as Narasimha.

Thamanna decided to retire from service and he asked Narasimha to take over his duties. He stopped working as a clerk only after Lord Hari asked him to do so. 

Like Jagannatha Dasa, his Guru, this Haridasa too was a devotee of Raghavendra Swamy or Rayaru and he has composed some of the most evocative and beautiful songs on the bard of Mantralaya.    

“Nodele Manave, Kondaadu Gurugala Padaa, Eedillavo Punyake, NadOge Guru Raghavendra Rayara Seve Madidhava Parama Dhanya Maanya”, is one of his best known songs on Rayaru.

His composition, “Guru Madhwarayarige NamO NamO, Guru Madhwa SaMtatige NamO NamO” is another famous work that even today is sung at the beginning of any Bhajan programme or Haridasa Sammekana.

“Baro Guru Raghavendra, Barayya baa Baa Narahari Priyane Baa, Guru Shreesha Vitalana KaruNa Patrane Bega Baa Guruvarane Parishoshisennanu Mareyadhale tava CharaNa Koteyalirisi Charambujavva Thorutha Twarithadhali Ododi Baa Baa”, is another popular song by this Haridasa.

He has written a beautiful commentary on Sriharikathamrutsara. Born in 1740, he lived for more than a hundred years. He died in 1846.

The aradhane of this great saint is being held at Kampli from January 1. 

The Haridasa with a difference

Haridasas are generally Vaishnavas and almost all of the Haridasas right from the time of Narahari Theertha have composed hymns and songs on Sri Hari and sung his glory.

The Haridasas have accepted Hari as the supreme god and Madhwacharya as their guru. All the Haridasas have scrupulously followed the tenets laid down by Madhwacharya.

Indeed, the origin of Haridasa Sahitya and Sangeetha goes back to the Dwadesha Stotra composed by Madhwacharya. Several Madhwa saints and composers who followed him  accepted the Vaishnava faith and propagated it in their compositions.

Thus, all the Haridasas were either Vaishnavas or converted to Vaishnava faith. If not, they wrote and sang about Hari even if they belonged to a different stream of philosophy. One of the best examples of such a Haridasa is Belur Vaikunta Dasa. A Srivaishnava, he had no hesitation in becoming a disciple of  Vyasa Raja, a Madhwa or Vaishnava saint, and writing several compositions on Hari.

Another fine example was that of Kanaka Dasa. Though not a Brahmin, he wrote about Hari and the other avatars of  Vishnu. However, in recent years, another Haridasa has shot into prominence. It is not merely because he belongs to another religion. It is also so because he sings with great devotion and faith.

This person is none other than Kanakagiri Hussein Sab or Hussein Sab Kanakagiri.

Kanakagiri Hussein Sab is a true Muslim but he also sings the glory of Hari as he finds no distinction between the two. A front runner of the Haridasa Sahitya movement today, he is at ease singing Haridasa compositions and reciting the Koran.

This Haridasa has given several concerts on Haridasa Sangeeta in Raghavendra Swamy mathas such as in Jogeshwari in Mumbai and other places including Bangalore.

A Hindustani musician himself, Hussein Sab also sings compositions of many Haridasas and even gives concerts on them.  He was born to Yamanur Sab and Honnur Bi of Kanakagiri on May 5, 1954. A devout Muslim by birth, he also grew up learning the philosophy of Haridasa. He learnt music from Devappayya Kakhandaki, a master of Hindustani music, in Bijapur.

He did his BSc in Agriculture and joined a agrochemical company. He is married to Raja Bi and he has three sons and all of them are engineers- Sabjan Sab, Habib Sab and Kasim Sab. Incidentally, Habib Sab is also a musician and he sung devotional and film songs.

What sets out Hussein Sab from others is that he has a vast repertoire of Haridasa compositions and he speaks in chaste Kannada. He also has a deep and abiding knowledge of Haridasa Sahitya, Sangeetha and of course Dwaitha philosophy. ‘

He has been awarded several times for his excellence in singing. The Mantralaya Matha of Raghavendra Swamy has conferred on him Gayana Gandharva. Some of his other awards include Sri Vijayeendra Puraskara, Vishwarupa National Celebration Award, Sri Narayana, Sri Krishnanugraha, Rajayogi, Pratibha Shree, Hari keertanashresta, Daasashree,  and Swara Surabhi.

He also been conferred the Rajyotsava award by the Karnataka Government in 1999.

He is the Chairman of Haridasa Seva Samiti and the district representative of Karnataka Gamaka Kala Parishat , founder member of Vijayaraaya Seva Samiti, Raichur.

By the way, he has also constructed a community hall at Chikallaparavi or Chippageri named as Sri Vijayaraaya Kalyana Mantapa.

He has several music albums to his credit including, Dasare Gati, Haridasaru kanda Gururajaru, Haridas Vani, Kori Karevevu Guru Raghavendrane, Kaayo Kaveri Ranga, Sri Vyasaraya Gana Chandrika. 

The fort which no enemy could detect

This is one fort which you have to search to locate. It is amidst high cliffs and there is only one entrance to it. During the medieval ages, it provide safe sanctuary for several kings and rebels.

Its location was so secret, or rather so difficult to track, the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb gave up the campaign to disciple a rebel who had declared Independence

Similarly, the Nizam of Hyderabad conducted a war for several months but to no avail. He had to voluntarily withdraw from the campaign as it made no headway and he had not way of storming the fortified bastion.

The fort and its buildings so impressed people that it gave rise to an iconic saying or proverb.  The popular saying in Kannada goes like this,

“Kaalu iddavaru Hampi Noda beku,

Kannu iddavaru Kanakagiri Nodabeku.”

This means people who can walk should visit Hampi and people who are blessed with eyesight should see Kanakagiri. This adage holds true even today and one should see both Kanakagiri and Hampi-one is a feast for the eyes and the other for the legs (This means that even if  you walk miles you will not get tired).  

Today, the fort in Kanakagiri  stands a mute testimony to the glory of the centuries gone by. The fort is called Hemagudda which has been a favourite hideout of  rulers and rebels in times when they were in trouble.

Kanakagiri is situated in Gangavati taluk of Koppal district. It was an important outpost during the Vijayanagar period, It was the capital of  the Palegars or local chieftains of Kanakagiri from the 15 century AD to the 18 century AD.

These Palegars were vassals of the Vijayanagars and  they loved their buildings like the Vijayanagar rulers. Today that love can be seen in the buildings, temples and forts that the Palegars built. The  Hemagudda fort is a labour of love and art. It is located about 20 kms from Kanakagiri in the midst of  towering hills and small mountains.

What the rulers could not do-destroy the fort-our Government has successfully done. Years of neglect and official apathy have put the fort on the endangered list

The Hemagudda fort is adjacent to another fort. This fort is the Kummata Durga fort which belonged to the warrior prince  Gandugali Kumara Rama.

The Hemagudda fort is enclosed by gigantic rocks on all sides and it can be entered only from its entrance in the east. It was this unique location that kept it hidden from the eye, giving it the name of a good hide-out.

Some of the rulers who took shelter in the fort were Peetambari Baharipidda Nayak, the ruler of Surpur. He had come to the fort as he was being perused by the Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb, in  1688. The Nayaka stayed in the fort for an year.
The then ruler of  Hemagudda,  Udacha Nayaka, agreed to shelter Peetambari Baharipidda Nayak as he was sure that the Mughals could never locate the fort.
Similarly, Hire Nayaka, the last ruler of Kanakagiri, waged a war against the Nizam of Hyderabad while hiding in the Hemagudda Fort.  The battle went on for more than three months and the Nizam was frustrated as he lost both men and money. He was forced to give a call for truce.

Even after the war ended, the Nizam failed to locate the fort.

Locals will tell you that the fort was first constructed in the 14th century AD.  The temples of  Shiva and Parvathi, Kanakachala, Lakshminarasimha and Durga Devi were constructed by Udacha Nayaka, the second ruler of Kanakagiri, between 1510 and 1533.

A palace is also seen in the fort with hide-outs constructed in its  walls.
Kanakagiri is also known as Swaranagiri. During the ancient ages, it was the provincial capital of  the southern region of the Maurya Empire.

Kanakagiri has several temples built by the Nayakas. The temple of  Kanaka Chalapathi Gidu is the biggest and it is known for its beauty and elegance. One of the edicts of Ashoka were discovered here. It can still be seen besides the main gopura of the Kanaka Chalapathi Temple.

The Venkatappa Bavi is a royal bath constructed by Venkatappa Naik during  the Vijayanagara period.  This stepped well is surrounded by an aisle on three sides. It also has a temple and shelter for pilgrims.

This place is also called Queen's bath. There are four entrances to enter the well; three through stairways that wind around narrow passages and the fourth entrance is from a regular wide and open stairway. Kanakagiri is just 37 kms from Koppal and 17 kms from Gangavathi. It is well connected by roads