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This is a story about dusty hamlets and their dusty legends. They may not find a place on tourist maps, but may find a spot in the itinerary of many a discerning traveller who is looking for a cultural experience or wants to get a feel of history.
These are places which probably have nothing to show you in terms of “sightseeing” but will let you soak in the cultural heritage of the State. These are places like Karwar which had once inspired Rabindranath Tagore to write, or the rocky fort of Chitradurga which tells the brave story of Onake Obavva who fought Hyder Ali’s forces, or Begur, where an inscription mentions the name Bengalooru for the first time. So, if you like to journey down to nondescript villages and experience art and literature, then add these destinations to your itinerary.
Halmidi
In many of our journeys, we find small jaded inscriptions and hero stones that lie scattered and neglected alongside temples or under trees . But they tell you the story of a dynasty that thrived and eventually ended in that village. Reading these inscriptions and putting together the history of a place is often like solving a jigsaw puzzle.
Head to Halmidi, a small village near Belur for one such experience. Villagers tell you about a small inscription in sandstone with a Vishnu Chakra on top that was found near a mud fort in the area and was later housed in a temple.
The Halmidi inscription, as it is known, lends an identity to Kannada language as we know it today. It is believed to be the oldest record of an ancient Kannada, called Purvada halagannada and the first time it was used in administrative communication. Historians have dated it between the fifth and sixth centuries (around 450 AD), but of course, there are several debates on it.
Some claim that it was written during the period of Kadamba ruler, Kukusthavarman, while others differ. Some historians even claim that there are other inscriptions older than the one found in Halmidi written in Kannada, while others cite older inscriptions which have halagannada words. Nevertheless Halmidi’s place in the linguistic history of the State is important. While the original lies in a museum, a replica is in the village. Head to the town and listen to the people tell you stories about the inscription.
Kuppalli & Mattur (Shimoga dt)
While on the subject of languages, let us visit Mattur, a village located barely 10 km from Shimoga on the banks of the River Tunga, where the residents believe that Sanskrit is no longer a dead language. It is the language of the masses here, as people speak the language in their day to day communication.
The Sanskrit grama has made every farmer a scholar as even students are taught Sanskrit in schools. Home to over 3,000 people, Vedic classes are not new here as the Sanskrit movement started barely three decades ago. Even though Sanskrit is spoken here, the village is a rich contribution to Karnataka’s cultural heritage. Self-assured and classical Kannada offers space for Sanskrit learning, and both the languages are accorded respect here.
Any talk of Kannada and poetry and one cannot but miss Kuppalli, the birthplace of Rashtrakavi Kuvempu. The Rashtrakavi Kuvempu Pratishthana has turned the home of the great poet into a museum, where the life and times of the great man comes alive, in the form of several pictures, and other memorabilia.
Sadhanakeri, Dharwad
There is a saying in Dharwad that if you throw a stone anywhere, it may land in a poet’s house. And so, it’s a great place to head out to on a weekend trip for a literary tour. This is the home for several poets, writers, musicians and artists including the legendary Da Ra Bendre.
Visit Bendre Bhavan and Shree Matha, the memorial and house of poet Dattatreya Ramachandra Bendre, Jnana Peetha award winner, and stop by at Sadhanakeri, the lake which apparently inspired the poet to pen Baaro Sadhana Kerige. You can see some rare photographs or pick up some books here. The entire town of Dharwad is culturally stimulating if you would like to immerse yourself in some poetry and music.
Kitturu
The ruins of a fort and palace in this town located in Bailhongal taluk of Belgaum speaks of a queen who defied the British. Karnataka’s own Kittur Rani Chennamma fought the British in the 19th century when they did not accept her adopted son, Shivalingappa as heir to her throne. After a fierce battle where the British Commissioner was killed, she was however imprisoned in the nearby Bailhongal fort where she later died.
A memorial still stands there at Bailhongal town. A festival is held annually here in her honour and the museum has some wonderful paintings showcasing her life and times.
Kaidala
In a small village called Kaidala near Tumkur is a Chennakeshava temple, lost amidst the wilderness. The temple lacks the magnificence of the Belur Chennakeshava temple but the six-feet idol dedicated to the deity is almost the same.
It is believed to be the hometown of the master sculptor, Amarashilpi Jakanachari who had carved several Hoysala monuments, including the Chennakeshava at Belur.
The deity here is flanked by Sridevi and Bhoodevi. Another tall sculpture with folded hands holding a dagger is possibly the master sculptor himself or the local chieftain.
The outer wall has a small image of a couple, who the priest says could be the parents of Jakanachari.
Even as historians wonder if Jakanachari truly existed or was he just a reference to a Yaksha or a talented sculptor, the priest here narrates a tale of miracles. Locals say that while the sculptor left his hometown in his early days, his son later followed him to Belur.
Although he was not aware that his father was the sculptor, he pointed out a flaw in the idol of Chennakeshava. Jakanachari refused to accept that there could be a blemish and proclaimed that he would cut off his hand if a defect was found.
But a test later showed that a live frog was found inside a cavity in the statue. Jakanachari went on to cut his right hand only to find out that the young sculptor was none other than his own son.
The story does not end here as folklore usually has happy endings. It is said that Jakanachari got a vision from the lord himself asking him to return to Kaidala and build a Chennakeshava temple there.
Both father and son sculpt the idol here and carve the sculptures together in the temple and it is said that his right hand was restored as soon as the temple was built.