The edict that "nailed" Ashoka

Scores of edicts belonging to the Mauryan period (322 BC-185 BC) of Indian history have been discovered in India and even in countries such as Pakistan, Afganisthan and Bangladesh.

The Mauryans ruled over large tracts of  undivided India and they were a force to reckon with in the ancient world. They reached the zenith of their power during the reign of Ashoka the Great (268 BC-232 BC).

One of the greatest emperors to rule, Ashoka was as much known for his non-violence (after the Kalinga war in present day Orissa which saw a bloodbath of unprecedented proportions) as he is for his strong and unequivocal advocacy of Buddhism, which he embraced after the Kalinga war.

Ashoka put up edicts in almost all provinces of his kingdom and today these edicts are found all over India and other countries. The edicts have been divided into major and minor edicts,  depending as they are on the content and context.

Karnataka is home to one major (Sannati) and nine minor edicts (Maski, Nittur, Udegolam, Gavimatha, Palkigundu, Brahmagiri, Jatinga-Rameshwara and Siddapur). However, of all these, there is one edict which is rather unique. It is the only one so far in India that names Devanampiya as Ashoka. This stone inscription is in Karnataka.

This unique inscription is in Maski town of Raichur district.  The district of Raichur is important epigraphically as it is home to several hundreds epigraphs beginning from Ashoka and extending upto the Muslim rulers of the Deccan.

The edicts are in a variety of languages like Sanskrit, Prakrit, Kannada, Arabic and Persian and belonging to almost all the dynasties that ruled over the Dekkan.

Three minor rock edicts of Ashoka have been discovered in Raichur district, with one at Maski in Lingasugur taluk and the other two near Koppal. The edicts prove that Karnataka also formed part of the Mauryan Empire and that it was governed by a Viceroy or Mahamatra of Ashoka.

The Maski Edict of Ashoka was discovered by Mr. W. R. C.Bedon, a Mining Engineer and gold prospector, in January 1915. However, the edict was not fully exposed and studied till July that year. This is the first edict which contains real name of  Devanam Piyadassi as Ashoka. It also spells the emperor’s name as De Va Na Pi Ya Sa A Sho K a Sa.

The edict is etched on a rock-face of Durgada-gudda, which is one of the many gneissic outcrops that dot Karnataka.

The Maski edict is important as it finally confirmed once for all that King Priya-darshi was none other than Ashoka. Subsequently, another minor rock edict in Gujarra village of Datia district of Madhya Pradesh also contained a similar text as that of Maski.

The Maski edict, which is engraved on a boulder, 9 feet by five feet, is in Prakit language and Brahmi script. The edict was found in a cave and today there are steps leading to it. It closely resembles the Rupnath and Sahasram inscriptions.

The first line contains the name-Devanampiyasa Ashoka. The follows a statement saying , “during the two years and half that I was a lay disciple. Then, the following sentence is erased. The edicts concludes with the engraving, “those who were formerly gods in Jambudweepa are now false.

The Maski edicts is dated sometime to 260 BC. The region of Maski was studied initially by Robert Bruce Foote in 1870 and again in 1888. However, it was in 1915 that Beadon discovered the edict. In 1935-37, the archaeological department of Hyderabad explored this region and in 1954 Amalananda Ghosh excavated this place on behalf of the Archaeological Survey of India. But much before him, the Government Archaeologist, Rao Sahib H. Krishna Sastri, examined it after its discovery.

Thus we see that it is first from the Maski inscription of Karnataka that historians were able to connect King Devanampiyasi with Ashoka. The edicts also helped historians delineate the border of the Mauryan Empire. It also showed that Ashoka preferred to use Prakrit as the language and that he did not get the edicts inscribed in the local languages.

The edict also tells us that Ashoka was a steadfast and firm believer and follower of Buddhism. Unfortunately, as the edict is classified as minor,  people have tended to forget it. 

The advocate who became a Haridasa

He was born and brought up in an orthodox Madhwa family. He became an advocate and a very popular one at that. He had a good practice and he gave it up after he became a Haridasa.

Today, he is more known as one of the persons who played a leading part in compiling, protecting and bringing to light many compositions of he Haridasas of Karnataka along with the scripts.

This man was from Raichur district and he was born in devout Madhwa family where discourses on Shastras and Puranas were held every day.

He was also a freedom fighter and he was put behind the bars for reading about the freedom movement and defying the censorship laws. 

This man is none other than Gorebala  Hanumantha Rao who was born in Lingasur of Raichur district in 1893. Hanumantha Rao was born in Gorebala village to Venkata Rao and Balamma.

Venkata Rao was working as a clerk and he gave good education to his son who then went on to graduate in law. He took up law as his good friend Swami Rao who later became Varadesha Vittala Dasa and was the son of  Rama Dasa ( Sri Pranesha Vittala), was a advocate.

Soon, Gorebala  Hanumantha Rao became a famous advocate. He practised law for some time before he became a disciple of Guru Jagannatha Vittala Dasa of Kosigi.

Guru Jagannatha Dasa initiated Hanumantha Rao into the Haridasa fold and gave him the ankita Sundara Vittala. Once Hanumantha Rao received the ankita, he stopped practicing law. He then turned his attention to Haridasa Sahitya.

He also earnestly translated Ramayana, Mahabharatha, Pancharatna, Puranas and Brahmasutra Bashyas from Sanskrit to Kannada. He then started Sri Varadendra Haridasara Sahitya Mandali. 

The Mandali collected many manuscripts of Haridasa Krithis belonging to Sripadaraja, Purandara Dasa, Raghavendra swamy, Vijaya Dasa, Jagannatha Dasa and his disciples, Vasudeva Vittala Dasa, Guru Vijaya Vittala Dasa and many others.

In 1957, he started Karnataka Haridasa Sahithya, a magazine, that was published for two years before being discontinued. He was felicitated in 1964 for his role in popularizing Kannada by the Raichur Kannada Sangha.

Even today, old timers of  Lingasugur recall how Mr. Rao used to travel from one house to another selling books on Madhwa philosophy and Haridasa Sahitya. His only aim was to popularise these books among the people and ensure that the teachings and compositions were not forgotten.

He passed away in 1969.  

This Dasa could not speak as a child

Till the age of five, he could not speak. Try as they might and pray as they did at several temples, the young boy’s inability to speak did not go away.

Worried about what the future would hold for such a boy, his parents took him to Guru Jagannatha Dasa, a devotee of Raghavendra Swamy and a leading Haridasa.

Guru Jagannatha Dasa kept his hand on the head of the boy and blessed him. He then told the astonished parents that there was nothing wrong with the boy and that he would go on to become a renown Haridasa.

A few days after this incident, the boy began speaking and soon exhibited signs of  mastery over Kannada. He learnt Sanskrit and became a school teacher. He also began composing poetry.

This man is none other than Shyamasundara Dasa (1903-1957), a Haridasa of the 21^st century.

Shyamasundara was earlier known as Karodi Gundacharya. He was born at Ballatagi, a small village near Manvi in Raichur district. He was a disciple of  Ikoor Acharya who was also known as Narasimhacharya.

He has composed songs with the ankita Shyamasundara and a compilation of them are available in a book called Shyamasundara Sthotra Mala. Some of his well-known compositions include Kayo Cauvery Ranga, Karunya Panga, Kelu Kelelo Tatvajnana, Nataka Darushana, Nodide Venkataramanana Dwarawada Gramadi Ninta Devana, Ninage Bhodisuve naa, Kshetra chalisalare, Motaru Vahana, Ide Piyusha Pana, Kshetra Muruthi Shyamasundara Vittala, Kshetradolage Baro, Sanjeevaraya porevudo sanjeevaraya, aanjaneya bhavabanjana bhayahara, sanjeevaraya

He is a contemporary to Suladi Kupperayara, Sririvara Ramachandra Rao, Chitradurga Ramachandra Rao (Tande Venkatesha Vittalan).

Karodi Gundachar could not speak till the age of  five. His parents took him to Guru Jagananatha Dasa.

Shyamacharya, father of Karodi Gundachar, requested Guru Jagananatha Dasa to solve the problem. Guru Jagannatha Dasa blessed the child and asked the parents not to worry. He forecast that Gundacharya would become a Haridasa.
Soon, Gundachar studied Sanskrit under Gururajachar. After that, he became a Puroit at Manvi in Raichur district. He then took up the post of a school teacher for an year. He resigned his jib and came back to Manvi and continued his job as a Purohit.

He had the ability to compose songs on the spot. He made use of his knowledge of Sanskrit in composing devaranamas and even enact plays based on Ramayana and the Mahabharata.  
He came in contact with Askhpal Govinda Dasa who then gave him the ankita Shyamasundara.

He had an excellent command over the SriHarikathamurutasara and other texts. He lived most of his life in and around Manvi.   

One of his most memorable composition is Kayoo Kaveri. The English lyrics of the composition is as follows:

Kayoo Kaveri Ranga |

Karnuya Panga|
Devaadideva Ninu|

Pranatha Janarige|
Devathru Manidhenu|

Eandarithu Nistalli|
Dhavisi Bhandananu|

Raghuvamsa Bhanu|
Kavnayaa Neenuolidhu Karunadi|
Pavamaniya Shatravarithu|

Bhava Bhakthili Ninna Paduva|
Kovidhare Sevana Madi||

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. 

When a PM's plane forcelanded

It was around 10 a.m., and a Principal of a school was busy with his work in a village near Yeramaras, on the outskirts of Raichur, a historic City ion Karnataka.

The Principal, Sheshachar Hunisigi of the Secondary Teachers’ Basic Training (STBT) School, was busy with his work. The work load was heavy as Karnataka had come into being just five months ago-November 1, 1956.

It was February 26, 1957 and Mr. Hunisigi was deeply engrossed in his work. Suddenly, he heard footsteps coming near and when he looked up, he almost froze for before him stood the Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

Nehru looked slightly flustered but he was easily recognizable in his trademark jacket and kurta. With him were a few officials, who also appeared equally flustered and disoriented.

The Principal stood up and quickly offered his seat to the Prime Minister. Nehru casually looked around and took the seat and began a polite conversation with the dumb struck Principal.

By then, other teachers and students of the institution realized the presence of the Prime Minister and rushed towards the Principal’s chamber.

Even as the conversation progresses, officials in the entrouge of the Prime Minister got in touch with the officials, including the district administration.

When news broke that the Prime Minister was in a school building near Raichur, a stunned Deputy Commissioner, K R Ramachandran, the Superintendent of Police, Subramanyam and Tahsildar Narasimhachar N Kathavi rushed post haste to the school.

Apart from these officials, the Mayor of Raichur, A Gurunath Rao, and several advocates came to the school and among them were Raghottama Rao and D R Vittal Rao, who later became a judge of the Karnataka High Court. He was then a 27-year-old practising lawyer in Raichur.

(Incidentally, Vittal Rao and another Judge, M.N. Venkatachalaiah sitting in a Division Bench  heard the first public interest litigation- PIL- filed in the Karnataka High Court against the demolition of the iconic High Court structure during the Chief Ministership of Ramakrishna Hedge in 1982.)

When the crowd around the school grew, officials accompanying the Prime Minister told the gathering that their plane (WIP IL-14) had developed a snag and one of the engines had caught fire. The pilot, Squadron Leader Reginald Azariah (R A) Rufus who was commissioned on February 25, 1946, had landed the aircraft at an abandoned airfield at Yeramaras, seven kilometers from Raichur.

Yeramaras was used by the British during the world war as an air strip. It was built in 1942 and was abandoned soon after the war and neither the Centre nor the State had made any effort to develop it. The airfield was in disuse and it still is.

Pandit Nehru, meanwhile, was on an election campaign. He had campaigned for the Congress Party in Kerala and he had come to Mangalore.

Nehru had left Mangalore at 8-05 a.m., and his next stop was Raipur in Madhya Pradesh where he was scheduled to address an election rally. He was not slated to stop anywhere else in Karnataka.

Nehru was using an Illushin aircraft of Indian Air Force (IAF) which was named as Meghadoot. The twin engined Illushin plane had been gifted by the Soviets to Nehru on December 23, 1955 by the Russian Ambassador in Delhi on December 23, 1955 on behalf of the Russian premier Bulganin and Communist Party Secretary Nikita Krushchev (who later became President of the USSR).  Nehru had himself christened the aircraft as Meghadoot-the messenger of the clouds.   

The right engine of the plane caught fire in mid air and the pilot, made an emergency landing at the deserted airstrip. The pilot feathered the engine and though the plane tilted to one side, he managed to land the craft. The Prime Minister appeared calm and he inspected the damaged engine and congratulated the pilot for making a landing with only one engine and without any support from the ATC.

When the aircraft force landed it was a little after 9-30 a.m., and Nehru and his party of officials and Congressmen walked towards the school. He looked at the still smoking port side engine which was emitting smoke and walked off still reading the text of Foreign Minister V.K. Krishna Menon’s speech at the United Nations Security Council on the Kashmir issue. Menon had made a marathon speech which had gone on for seven hours  and newspapers had covered it extensively.

With Nehru sitting in the school premises, the officials immediately contacted Hyderabad from where another aircraft was flown to Raichur and Nehru continued his onward journey.

The Meghdoot remained at the airstrip for more than a week and very soon it became a tourist attraction. When news of the force landing reached the Soviets, they offered a new Ilyshin aircraft to Nehru which the Prime Minister accepted. Russian engineers visited the Yeramaras airstrip and conducted an enquiry into the issue of engine failure.
Incidentally, this was Nehru’s second visit to Raichur. Earlier, during the 1952 general elections,  he had had come to Raichur along with his sister Vijayalakashmi Pandit.
Later, Sqn Ldr RA Rufus, an Anglo-Indian, was awarded the Ashok Chakra for his presence of mind and

It was around 10 a.m., and a Principal of a school was busy with his work in a village near Yeramaras, on the outskirts of Raichur, a historic City ion Karnataka.

The Principal, Sheshachar Hunisigi of the Secondary Teachers’ Basic Training (STBT) School, was busy with his work. The work load was heavy as Karnataka had come into being just five months ago-November 1, 1956.

It was February 26, 1957 and Mr. Hunisigi was deeply engrossed in his work. Suddenly, he heard footsteps coming near and when he looked up, he almost froze for before him stood the Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

Nehru looked slightly flustered but he was easily recognizable in his trademark jacket and kurta. With him were a few officials, who also appeared equally flustered and disoriented.

The Principal stood up and quickly offered his seat to the Prime Minister. Nehru casually looked around and took the seat and began a polite conversation with the dumb struck Principal.

By then, other teachers and students of the institution realized the presence of the Prime Minister and rushed towards the Principal’s chamber.

Even as the conversation progresses, officials in the entrouge of the Prime Minister got in touch with the officials, including the district administration.

When news broke that the Prime Minister was in a school building near Raichur, a stunned Deputy Commissioner, K R Ramachandran, the Superintendent of Police, Subramanyam and Tahsildar Narasimhachar N Kathavi rushed post haste to the school.

Apart from these officials, the Mayor of Raichur, A Gurunath Rao, and several advocates came to the school and among them were Raghottama Rao and D R Vittal Rao, who later became a judge of the Karnataka High Court. He was then a 27-year-old practising lawyer in Raichur.

(Incidentally, Vittal Rao and another Judge, M.N. Venkatachalaiah sitting in a Division Bench  heard the first public interest litigation- PIL- filed in the Karnataka High Court against the demolition of the iconic High Court structure during the Chief Ministership of Ramakrishna Hedge in 1982.)

When the crowd around the school grew, officials accompanying the Prime Minister told the gathering that their plane (WIP IL-14) had developed a snag and one of the engines had caught fire. The pilot, Squadron Leader Reginald Azariah (R A) Rufus who was commissioned on February 25, 1946, had landed the aircraft at an abandoned airfield at Yeramaras, seven kilometers from Raichur.

Yeramaras was used by the British during the world war as an air strip. It was built in 1942 and was abandoned soon after the war and neither the Centre nor the State had made any effort to develop it. The airfield was in disuse and it still is.

Pandit Nehru, meanwhile, was on an election campaign. He had campaigned for the Congress Party in Kerala and he had come to Mangalore.

Nehru had left Mangalore at 8-05 a.m., and his next stop was Raipur in Madhya Pradesh where he was scheduled to address an election rally. He was not slated to stop anywhere else in Karnataka.

Nehru was using an Illushin aircraft of Indian Air Force (IAF) which was named as Meghadoot. The twin engined Illushin plane had been gifted by the Soviets to Nehru on December 23, 1955 by the Russian Ambassador in Delhi on December 23, 1955 on behalf of the Russian premier Bulganin and Communist Party Secretary Nikita Krushchev (who later became President of the USSR).  Nehru had himself christened the aircraft as Meghadoot-the messenger of the clouds.   

The right engine of the plane caught fire in mid air and the pilot, made an emergency landing at the deserted airstrip. The pilot feathered the engine and though the plane tilted to one side, he managed to land the craft. The Prime Minister appeared calm and he inspected the damaged engine and congratulated the pilot for making a landing with only one engine and without any support from the ATC.

When the aircraft force landed it was a little after 9-30 a.m., and Nehru and his party of officials and Congressmen walked towards the school. He looked at the still smoking port side engine which was emitting smoke and walked off still reading the text of Foreign Minister V.K. Krishna Menon’s speech at the United Nations Security Council on the Kashmir issue. Menon had made a marathon speech which had gone on for seven hours  and newspapers had covered it extensively.

With Nehru sitting in the school premises, the officials immediately contacted Hyderabad from where another aircraft was flown to Raichur and Nehru continued his onward journey.

The Meghdoot remained at the airstrip for more than a week and very soon it became a tourist attraction. When news of the force landing reached the Soviets, they offered a new Ilyshin aircraft to Nehru which the Prime Minister accepted. Russian engineers visited the Yeramaras airstrip and conducted an enquiry into the issue of engine failure.
Incidentally, this was Nehru’s second visit to Raichur. Earlier, during the 1952 general elections,  he had had come to Raichur along with his sister Vijayalakashmi Pandit.Later, Rufus was awarded the Ashoka Chakra for his presence of mind. He was an instructor in Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS) Jodhpur and Transport Training Centre in Hyderabad. He commanded a Squadron on AN-12s and retired as Wing Commander.
He later joined Air India and flew Boeing 707 and 747 aircraft.

(This post was written after one of the readers-Skyflash- pointed the incident of the force landing of Nehru's plane. Thank you, Skyflash)

d

The island fortess where Vachanas of Basaveshwara are buried

This is not only an island with a little bit of history but also a place of legends. One such legend is that more than a lakh of verses or vachanas composed by Basaveshwara, the poet, statesman, thinker and philosopher from north Karnataka, are buried in a stone box here. The stone box is amid the Krishna river and it is visible only during summer when the level of water in the river comes down.

This is Jaldurga, the riverine island in Raichur district. As the name itself suggest it is a water fort-Jal means water and durg stands fort.

This is one of the many islands in Raichur district and perhaps the most important from the historic point of view. The island is formed by the Krishna and two other smaller streams.

The fort of Jaldurga was built by the Adil Shahi emperors of Bijapur who strengthened the ramparts and raised its height to ensure complete safety and security. Before the Adil Shahis took over the fort, it belonged to the Bahamani sultans who were bitter rivals of  Vijayanagars. The fort, for sometime, passed into the hands of the Vijayanagar before it lapsed once again to the Adil Shahis. 

Jaldurga, during the days of the conflict with the Vijayanagar dynasty, played a vital role in giving a toe-hold for the Adil Shahis. Since Raichur and Mudgal forts passed hands from the Adil Shahis to Vijayanagars and vice-versa, the Adil Shahis were in need of a permanent military camp. Jaldurga fulfilled this long-term goal.

The Adil Shahis went about building what was once an impregnable fort. Today much of the fort is in ruins. Meadows Taylor has given a graphic description of the fort.

The high walls of the fort came in handy for another purpose. There are spots on the fort from where criminals, traitors and those who displeased the Adil Shahi kings were thrown off.  People who were sentenced to death were pushed off the fort at a particular place. Such people  landed on the rocks below and died. One such spot is the steep cliff on the northen side.

The top of the fort housed a palace of the Adil Shahis. There was also a small mosque which is nowhere to be seen and a cellar. An underground tunnel originated from the top of the fort to the ground below. Today, thick vegetation covers this structure.

When you reach the top of the fort, get ready to enjoy a breathtaking view of the craggy rocks below and the Narayanapur dam which is miles away. The waters of the Krishna and its two smaller tributaries is a sight for sore eyes.

There used to be a huge vault here where riches and treasures were supposed to have been stored.

Getting to Jaldurga is rather easy. Lingsugur, the nearest town and taluk headquarters of Raichur district, is just 13 kms away. Raichur is 70 kms away. There are plenty of buses and private vehicles operating from Lingsugur and even Raichur to Jaldurga. This island is much different from the island of Srirangapatna. The Krishna here flows eastwards around Jaldurga and two small streams or tributaries join the Krishna creating this island.

There are some tombs as you approach the fort. All we can guess is that they belong to the Adil Shahis. There is no name or board to give us details. There are some arches which were once doorways or gates to the fort. Locals and old-timers will show you the places where the fort once had seven beautiful gateways.

The walk around the fort will take you to Sangemeshwara Matha and a Yellamma Temple. The idol of Yellamma has a face which is red in colour. The trees around this temple look green even in summers. This is because of the gift of green bangles given to the Goddess by devotees. Devotees pray for a particular cause and gift Yellamma with the bangles for fulfillment of their wishes. The other Yellamama which I saw was the one at Saudatti. (There are many temples dedicated to Yellamma in north Karnataka and Maharashtra). There is also a temple of  Sangameshwara here. Walk down the Yellamma Temple towards the rocky water front which leads you to the banks of the Krishna. This place is called Mandhana Maduvu. Locals will show you a place in the river which they say can be seen during summer when the water level of the Krishna recedes. The stone here is in the form of a box which is reported to contain a lakh of verses of Basaveshwara or Basavanna. There are many versions on why and how the verses came to be hidden here. Basaveshwara has written innumerable vachanas and they are on a variety of topics. These vachanas form part of a beautiful body of literature called Vachana Sahitya. This sahitya predates Dasa sahitya by a century. Imagine if  what the locals told me about Mandhana Maduvu proves to be true. When I visited Jaldurga, the Krishna was overflowing the danger mark and water was also being released from the Narayanapur Dam. Hence, there was no way I could see the stone box.     The Krishna forms a cascade here and it is called Jaldurga falls or Narayanapura falls. The island is home to small wildlife and the Forest Department has constructed a view point behind the Sangamshwara Matha. This is part of the Jaldurga reserve forest. Take the permission of the Forest Department to explore the jungle and shoot pictures of  snakes, mongoose, fox, wild hares an even hyenas. The small town of Jaladurga has a temple dedicated to Hanuman.If you are interested in history, I suggest you read the book, A Noble Queen written by Philip Meadows Taylor in 1878. Taylor was an adminiatrator posted in India and he started out as a clerk in the Bombay Government. He has published several novels on India, including a book on Thugs and Tipu Sultan. He has also written a book called history of India. Banavasi, the capital of the Kadambas which is near Sirsi, was also called Jaldurga and even the Golconda fort was called by a similar name.

Tourist and pilgrim sites in and around Mantralaya, Raichur

In my earlier articles, I had written about different routes to Mantrayala from Bangalore. Several friends and readers have asked me why I have delayed writing about places of interest in and around Mantralaya.

Mantralaya is in Andhra Pradesh. It is is 53 km from Adoni or Adwani, 24 km from Yemmiganur ,100 km from Kurnool, 250 km from Hyderabad,  35 km from Raichur and 120 km from Bellary.

Raichur is in Karnataka and it is just an hour’s drive from Mantralaya. There are several places associated with Raghavendra Swamy in the district.  

Raichur district was known as the Doab as it is sandwiched between the Tungabhadra and Krishna rivers. The Doab was the reason for several wars between the Vijayanagar Kingdom and the Bahamanis and later the Adil Shahis.

Raichur is known as the rice bowl of India. It is today the only place producing gold after the closure of KGF in Kolar district of Karnataka. There are several small islands in the district formed by the Tungabhadra and Krishna rivers and you can enjoy them.

Raichur can be very hot during summers. So avoid it from say March to July. It is also home to one of the biggest thermal ppwers stations in India-RTPS.

Some of the historical and religious places of interest in and around Raichur are:

Bichale or Bhikshalaya

This is the place on Tungabhadra river where Raghavendra Swamy or Rayaru spent 13 years of his life with Appanacharya. Take in the Japada Katte where Rayaru and Appanacharya spent hours discussing philosophy and religion. There is an Ekashila Brindavana of Raghavendra Swamy which is the first outside Mantralaya.

The house of Appanacharya that Rayaru stayed has been rebuilt after the flood waters of Tungabhadra damaged it in 2009.

Madhwacharya has consecrated the idol of Ugra Narasimha here and Vyasa Raja, the previous avatar of  Raghavendra consecrated the  Hanuman temple.

Combine you visit to Bichale with  Panchamukhi Anjaneya Temple.

Panchamukhi Anjaneya Temple

This is in Raichur district. It is 22 kms from Mantralaya. The route is through Madhavaram village from where the stone slabs for the Brindavana were used. Even today, a piece of the stone used to make the Brindavana, is left behind.

After Madhavaram, take a right turn and proceed till you reach Tungabhadra river. When you cross the river you enter Raichur district.

Take the road till you reach Chiksugur camp junction. The road to the right leads to Panchamukhi Anjaneya Temple while the left leads you to Bichale.

The Panchamukhi Anjaneya Temple is open for Darshan from 5 -30 a.,m to  1 p.m.  It opens again in the evening and close at 8 p.m. This idol is closely associated with Rayaru.

From here, Bichale is 18 kms.

The Panchamukhi Temple is in Gandhal. It is about 31kms south of Raichur.

The temple  is situated on a hillock and is closely associated with Raghavendra Swamy.

During his stay at Manchale, Rayaru  regularly visited holy places nearby. Two of these villages which he visited very frequently were Bichale  and Gandhal.

There was a cave in Gandhal where he frequently meditated. Locals say Rayaru spent days in meditation here. The cave is in top of a hillock. Rayaru meditated only after finishing the pooje of  Rama at the cave.

He has himself carved the figures of Venkateswara and  Lakshmi on the rock. One day, Hanuman appeared before Raghavendra Swamy with five faces.

Rayaru saw the five faces as that of Hanuman, Hayagriva, Narasimha, Garuda and Varaha. It is this form as Panchamukhi he carved on the rock.

The rocks around the hillock are a sight to see.  There are fifty steps that lead you to the cave. A narrow passage will lead you to the sanctum

Deodurg

Deodurg is 34 miles west of Raichur. It has a fort. It was the stronghold of the Bidar chieftains. There is a hill here which contains talc.

Devarbhupur

This small town  is 11 miles from Lingsugur. The Amareshwara temple is located amidst hillocks and rolling forests.

The deity is also known as  Gurugunta Amareshwara which is a Shiva Linga.
There is a small well besides the  idol called Gadagi Bhavi. Bhavi in Kannada means well. The water from the well enters the main temple and reaches the Linga and then forms into a pool. Devottes take the water as Theertha.
The annual fair of the temple is held in Phalguna and commences from the day of Holi, Kamana Hunnime or Pournami. The fair will continue for a month and several theatre groups pitch their tents here.

 
Devasugur

Devarsugur is on the  Krishna river. It is famous for the Surugeshwara or Veerabhadra Temple.The annual jatra of this temple, held in the month of Margashira, attracts a large number of people.

Gabbur

Gabbur has many ancient temples and inscriptions. In ancient days, Gabbur was a major centre of education. It was then called Gopurugrama. There are many temples but some of the most important  are those of Male Shankara, Hanuman, Bangara Basappa, Venkateshwara and Ishwara or Shiva.

Another fascinating monument is a gateway Chandigage. There is a temple on either side of the gate. The Male Shankata Temple is built of rough grey stone.

The Venkateshwara Temple has three deities-two of Vishnu and another a Linga. There are seven cisterns called Sat Baoli.

The Bangara Basappa Temple houses a beautiful idol of Ganesha and two nandis.

Hutti

Hutti, which is the only gold producing area of Karnataka today, is 17 kms from Lingsugur. You have to take prior permission from the authorities if you want to see the mines.

Jaladurga

Jaladurga, in Lingsugur taluk, is an island fort surrounded by the Krishna.It is 13 kms from Lingsugur. The fort was held by the Adil Shahs of Bijapur.

Kadlur

Kadlur, in Raichur taluk, is a sacred place. It is here that Bhima joins the Krishna. The Vijayanagara Emperor Krishna Deva Raya visited this pilgrim center with his family and offered worship at the temple.

Kallur

Kallur is in Manvi taluk, located 19 kms from Raichur. The village is surrounded on all sides by granite hills except the east. There are six temples of which the Markendeshwara Temple is famous. Look  at the many wells here which are a thing of beauty.

The fort wall is in ruins.

 There is a temple of Srinivasa and Padmavathi here. According to legend, couples who want a child come here and worship the deities.

Kalmala

Kalmala,  9 miles from Raichur, has the samadhi of a saint, Kariappa Tata.

Kavital

Kavital is on the Raichur-Lingsugur road, about 64 miles from Raichur and 30 kms  from Lingsugur. There is a hillock to the south-west of the village which has several natural caves. Several pre-historic implements and pieces of pottery were discovered along the slopes of the hill here.

There is an ash mound on the top of  a hill where a temple has been built. The ash mound was the site of an old smelting factory. The Tryambakeshwara temple has three shrines, two of which are lingas. There are two Kannada inscriptions in the temple and a beautiful carving of Mahishasuramardini on the temple wall.

Korva or Naradagadde

Korva is in Raichur taluk. It is a small but beautiful island surrounded by the Krishna river. It is 30 kms  north-east of Raichur. Narada performed penance here. Hence, the name Naradagadde. There is a temple dedicate to Narada.

There is also a Veerashaiva Matha, the samadhi of  a saint called  Channabasava Swamy who lived about four centuries ago and a temple of Basavanna.

A little away from Naradagadde is Koormagadde (Kurumakshetra or Kuravakala) which has a Dattatreya Peetha and the samadhi of Sripadavallabha Swamy. This place is said to be the original place of Dattatreya. It has a temple dedicated to him.

Kotekal

Kotekal is in Manvi taluk and it is situated on the Raichur-Lingsugur road. The village has two hillocks with each having a fort. The slopes along these hillocks have yielded artifacts, iron-slag and gold-crushers, belonging to the prehistoric period.

Manvi

It is closely associated with Jagannatha Dasa. It has a fort and Jagganatha Swamy Temple.

Maski

Maski is in Lingsugur taluk, situated 26 kms south-east of Lingsugur. It is archaeologically important as several artefacts have been found here.

Mudgal

It is a historical place. The Vijayanagars and Bijapur kingdoms fought over this city.

The Mudgal fort is on a hillock. The fort was initially built by the Kakatiyas. It was conquered by the Vijayanagars and Adil Shahis.  

Mudval is in Lingsugur taluk is situated about 20 kms  from Lingsugur.

Several pre-historic artefacts have been discovered here.

Mukkunda

It is a small village located 32 kms from Sindhanur. There is an old fort on top of a hill. There is an old temple of Murari, built of stone. A small island in Tungabhadra has the dargah of Gaddikhader Wali, a saint.

Raichur

Raichur is the  headquarters of the district. It was ruled by the Khiljis, Vijayanagars, Bahmani, Bijapur, Mughal and Asaf Jahi kings.

The hill fort of Raichur, which was of great importance in the past, is surrounded on three sides by a double row of massive but low circuit walls. The inner wall of the fort was constructed by placing huge blocks of well-dressed and nicely fitted stones on top of each other, without the using any cementing material. The oldest inscription of the inner fort is dated 1294 AD. The inner fort wall was built by the Hindu kings.

The outer wall was built by he Muslim Kings. It contains five gateways: Mecca Darwaza on the west, Naurangi Darwaza on the north, Kati Darwaza on the east, Khandak Darwaza on the south and the Doddi Darwaza on the south-east.

The inner wall has two gateways: Sailani Darwaza on the west and the Sikandari Darwaza on the east.

The Mecca Darwaza and the adjoining walls were built  by Mallu Khan in 1470 during the reign of the Bahmani king Muhammad Shah III.

There are some marvelous drawings near this gate. A little away is a large depression known as  Banda Baoli.

There is a tomb of a Muslim saint, Pir Sailani Shah built in the Adil Shah style. There is also small mosque called the Kali Masjid.

The Jami Masjid  is a beautiful building having two entrances, one in the south and the other in the east.

The cemetery here contains the graves of some members of the Adil Shahi dynasty.  Opposite the Jami Masjid are the remains of an ancient Hindu palace. The structure is in ruins now, except for the old walled enclosure and the big entrance by the side of the present jail.

The Ek-Minar-ki_Masjid was constructed by Amber.

It has only one minaret which is 65 feett high and 13 ft. in diameter. The minaret has two storeys, each furnished with windows and surrounded by projecting galleries.

The Bala Hisar or the citadel is situated on the middle and the loftiest of the hills in the south-west corner of the fort. It is approached first by a flight of steps. There is agun placed on a circular platform.

The Panch Bibi Dargah or the Dargah of five lady saints is located here.  A Nandi or bull carved in granite is found here.

Roundkunda

Roudkunda, in Sindhanur taluk, is situated about 6 miles to the east of Gorebal, on the Sindhanur-Gangavati road. There are two hills with forts here.

Somalpur

Somalpur, in Sindhanur taluk, is 14 miles from Sindhanur. The Amba Devi temple, situated at the foot of a hill, is well-known.

Venkatapur

Venkatapur, in Lingsugur taluk, is about 3 miles due north of Maski. To the south of this village are two hills, along the skirts of which 45 cairns or man made stacks of  stones were found. Some of them are in pairs.

Chinna Tumbulam

The Narasimha Temple here is  200 years old. It is easily approachable from Mantralaya which is 25 kilometers away. Brigu Muni consecrated the Narasimha here.

Kowthala

Also known as Kowthalam, it is the native of  Jagannatha Dasa, the famous Haridasa. The temple is being renovated and a Harikathamruthasara mandira is being build by K Appannachar a desendent ofSri Guru Jagannatha Dasaru. This place is about 30 kilometers from Mantralayam off the Adoni Road.

Urukunda

The Narasimha Tample here has been recently renovated. It is 30 kilometers from Mantrlaya off the Adoni Road.

Ibharampura Kshetra

This is about 6 kms from Mantralaya. It is the abode of  Krishnacharya popularly known as Shri Ibharamapura Appavaru.

Basaladoddi

It has is a temple of Mukhya Prana consecrated by Vyasaraja.

Kosigi

This is the birth place of Jagannatha Dasa, an ardent devotee of Raghavendra Teertha, and considered to be an amsha sambhuta of Appannacharya. 

Jagannatha Dasa installed a Mukhya Prana idol here and regularly  worshipped it.

Kamavara

Gopala Dasa consecrated and worshipped a Mukkhya Prana idol here.

Budamala Doddi

Vyasaraja installed a Mukya Prana idol here. It is known as palikedevudu which in Telugu means  God who talks.

Holagunta

This village is home to the Mrithika Brindavana of  Vijayeendra Teertha (Kumbhakonam) and Shri Raghavendra Teertha.

Hatthibelagal

This is a small village where Raghavendra Swamy consecrated one of the two Hanuman  temples.

A Madhwa scholar, Narasimhacharya popularly known as Aralikatti Narasimhacharya, lived here. He is considered to be an amsha-sambhuta of Karna.  He is adyatma Guru of  Raghuprema Teertha of Kudli Akshoba Theertha Matha. 

The Brindavana of of Aralikatte Narasimhacharya and his disciple  Bilvapathre Acharya can be seen here.