Dasara of North Karnataka

When Dasara arrives, there is only one city that comes to one’s mind: Mysuru. However, few have heard of similar celebrations, an age-old tradition that takes place in Hemagudda, situated on the state highway between Koppal and Gangavati.

Located 30 km from Koppal, Hemagudda is a rainfed region that is surrounded by hills and mountains. It was once under the administration of Kumara Rama, son of Kampila Raya, ruler of the Kampli kingdom, and is located very close to Kummatadurga, the ruler’s headquarters.

Nestled amid forts and rocks, the purpose of building Kamatadurga fort was to safeguard the region, which is covered mostly by natural rocks. In fact, only a small part of it is a man-made structure. There is also a mahadwara on the fort’s eastern side.

As we proceeded inwards from the mahadwara, we came across several temples — Mahakali Durgadevi Temple to the left, Maruti Temple to the right, and a little further, hidden amid the bushes, is the Kanakachala Temple. As we ventured  deeper inside, we saw Shiva-Parvathi Temple and Lakshmi Narasimha Temple. Both the temples are in ruins. And towards the northern side, there is a small place called Ratnagiri, which is home to the temple of Thimmapparaya Swamy. According to locals, there were a total of nine Maruthi temples here, of which only a few remain today.

Legend has it that the other son of the Kampli king, who was the palegara of Kanakagiri, took Hemagiri under his control in 13th century. But Kumara Rama continued to perform his administrative duties here. Kumara Rama, who was a devotee of Durga Devi, built many temples to honour her. In 14th century, the 34-year-old Kumara Rama was defeated and killed in a battle by the kings of the Bahamani dynasty.

It is interesting to note that the origin of the founders of the Vijayanagar kingdom, Hakka Bukka, is traced to Hemagiri. After defeat from the Bahamani sultanate, they travelled to the Anegundi kingdom, with nowhere else to go. It is said that it was there that they met Guru Vidyaranya, who suggested that they lay the foundation for Hampi.

Golden ‘ambari’
As Kumara Rama was an ardent devotee of Durga Devi, he used to perform a grand utsava in the deity’s honour every year. Even today, during the time of Navaratri, this is celebrated in Hemagudda with the same grandeur it first began with. Lectures and sermons praising Durga Devi, a grand feast, elephant processions and other festivities take place with jubilation. This has come to be known as the Dasara of North Karnataka.

There is much conjecture that this was how this place may have got the name Hemagudda. ‘Hema’ means gold in Sanskrit. And because the golden ambari came from here, it is said that the place was named Hemagudda. There is also a strong link between the golden ambari in Mysuru and Hemagudda. It is said that the ambari was originally used in the Hemagiri Devi procession. After Kumara Rama’s fall, Hakka Bukka took it with them to Anegundi and then to Hampi. In 1565, after the Battle of Talikota, the ambari was transported to Mysuru. So it is said that the ambari probably owes its origins to this place.

Steeped in rich history, Hemagudda is now in a deplorable condition, primarily because of neglect and lack of preservation efforts. There is an urgent need to  restore this haven of culture.

One can reach Hemagudda via road from Koppal towards Gangavati.

(Translated by Deepika Nidige)