This is a heart-rending story. The Palegars of Koodligi taluk who once lived like kings are now leading a life of penury. The descendants of this family of Palegars who once ruled over 133 villages and lived in palaces now live in thatched huts and one-room houses.

Following the fall of the mighty Vijayanagar empire, when the palegars of Karnataka declared themselves kings, the Jaramale palegars of Koodligi taluk in Bellary district carried out their authority independently. They had once even waged a war on behalf of Haider Ali against the palegars of Chitradurga. However, these stories of valour and grandeur are now things of past.

Jaramale, which is about 14 km from Koodligi, is situated on National Highway 13 between Koodligi and Chitradurga. It can be reached by taking a deviation to the left after Virupapura near Adavisooranahalli Cross. A drive down the same road leads to the forts built by the palegars, that bear testimony to their glorious past.

A visit to Jaramale is enough to familiarise oneself with ground reality. An eerie silence that now rules this tiny village is frightening. The gigantic forts and beautiful temples that once stood tall have been vandalised to no end. The descendants of Jaramale rulers who continue to live in the village have nothing but a few acres of land to keep the stoves in their kitchens burning.

It is interesting to note the good relationship shared by Jaramale palegars and the Ujjaini Peeta, which is one of the five important peetas. This speaks volumes for the reputation these palegars enjoyed and the power they wielded. Till this day, oil for the tailaabhisheka of Marulasiddeshwara temple gopuram on the day following the rathotsava has to be taken from the house of one of the descendants of the palegar family. However, due to an old curse, none of the members of the palegar family are allowed to enjoy the darshan of the deity. The general belief is that misfortune befalls members of the palegar family if and when they have the darshan.

Though the days of palegar glory are long over, people from the surrounding villages of Jaramale still refer to the descendants of the family as kings. These ‘kings’, on the other hand, do not live on lost glory. Having accepted their fate with grace, they get on with their lives without any complaints. Their poor financial status has also not deterred them from following the customs and traditions set by their ancestors.

Strict followers of tradition, women of the palegar family still wear a purdah and stay indoors. The men-folk of the family too do not work outside their fields. Being illiterate, they struggle hard to balance between their past glory and demands of the modern world.

The surviving palegars of Jaramale comprise Chandrashekararaja, Immadi Siddappanayaka and his son Pampapathiraja. The many swords, arrows, javelins, spears, hatchets, shields and other weaponry used by their ancestors are housed in the humble abode of these family members.

Going by tradition, all three daughters of the family have been married off only to palegar families.

The only grouse these families nurse is the cancellation of pension due to royal families since 1980. “My father Immadi Siddappa Nayaka has approached the powers-that-be innumerable times to press for the resumption of pension, but in vain. It’s ironical that the family that once donated liberally is now waiting for financial help,” laments Pampapathi Raja.

It is high time this family of palegars received help from the Government. And, the forts and temples of immense historic value were restored too.

Translated by Chethana Dinesh