Amulyashodha, a museum set up at
Lakkinakoppa as a husbands
tribute to his beloved wife, is a treasure trove of history, writes
Veerendra P M.
A history lecturer’s love for his beloved who was teaching the same subject has blossomed into a museum at Lakkinakoppa village in Shimoga district. Titled Amulyashodha, the museum is indeed a valuable treasure trove of history.
It happened thus: Khandoba Rao and Yashodamma fell in love during their students days. Though both were from different castes, they married, braving the conservative social order prevailing during those times. The couple was teaching history at Kamala Nehru College in Shimoga. Just as they were enjoying their retired lives, fate played its cruel trick on Yashodamma who was diagnosed with renal failure. Though Khandoba Rao donated his kidney to Yashodamma, she breathed her last on February 20, 2007.
As a tribute to his wife, Khandoba Rao planned to set up Amulyashodha, a museum in the land he owned near Lakkinakoppa. After a year of elaborate field work, Khandoba Rao has collected rare historical artifacts.
The museum houses coins of medieval period and British India, metal and wooden accessories which were part of domestic life in Malnad, swords said to be that of Maratha ruler Shahaji and Bichugatti Bheemanna Nayaka of Chitradurga, palm leaves, attires of the period of Keladi king Shivappa Nayaka, guns, lamps, rifles, rare musical instruments, paintings of Raja Ravivarma, pocket calendars from the year 1899 to 1905, copper plate inscriptions, stamp papers of Bikaner, Udaipur, Avadh and Surat provinces, history books... all these and more.
Moreover, historical documents at the museum prove useful in studying the history of ‘Kannada-Maratha’ relationship.
Adjacent to Amulyashodha, an auditorium named ‘Nenapu’ is also constructed. Khandoba Rao has plans of organising cultural programmes in the auditorium on a regular basis. A beautiful garden, designed artistically in the premises, has fountains and gigantic pillars bearing the images of Yashodamma, Swamy Vivekananda and Dharmachakra. The pillars also carry symbols of various religions, highlighting the message of love and harmony, atop.
The museum and the auditorium were inaugurated on February 20, the first death anniversary of Yashodamma. Khandoba Rao plans to develop the place into a tourist attraction and a centre for study and research on history.
Travel tips
The museum, located about 15 km from Shimoga, can be approached by road. The museum is open to visitors only during the weekends. Since both the Kuvempu University and the Bhadra Reservoir are about 8 km from the museum, the place can be developed into a tourist hub.
Prized possessions
Mr Khandoba Rao laments people’s indifference to the past. “Many have dumped valuable artefacts relating to the past in the attic. During my field visits I noticed coins, palm leaves and inscriptions being smeared with sandal paste and worshiped. People need to be enlightened in this regard,” he said.
People in possession of historic artefacts can hand over the same to the museum where it will be displayed along with the name of the donor.
A history lecturer’s love for his beloved who was teaching the same subject has blossomed into a museum at Lakkinakoppa village in Shimoga district. Titled Amulyashodha, the museum is indeed a valuable treasure trove of history.
