Sri Chamarajeshwara Temple in Chamarajanagar.
DH Photo
Mysuru: After postponing thrice, the Karnataka State government has finally decided to hold a Cabinet meeting at MM Hills of Chamarajanagar district on April 24.
The ninth Cabinet meeting of 2025 and the first ever in the Chamarajanagar district is scheduled to discuss the projects related to the Mysuru revenue division, announced in the State budget for 2025-26, at Deepadagiri Vaddu of Mahadeshwara statue, in Hanur taluk, at 12 pm, next Thursday.
‘Jinx’ broken
Chamarajanagar district, which will complete 28 years of its formation on August 15, missed the Silver Jubilee celebration in 2021-22. The people of the district are happy that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was the first to break the superstition of the ‘jinx’, that a visit would be unlucky, by making multiple visits.
Now, the people expect that at least the 30th anniversary of the district’s formation would be celebrated, as the CM has decided to accord importance, by holding a Cabinet meeting here.
Chamarajanagar district was bifurcated from Mysuru district in 1997 and it was officially declared on August 15.
Formation
“Chamarajanagar district, comprising Chamarajanagar, Gundlupet, Kollegal and Yelandur taluks, was formed, as per government notification, dated August 2, 1997. On August 15, 1997, then Chief Minister J H Patel inaugurated the new district at MM Hills, to mark the 50th Independence Day. Another taluk of Hanur was created out of Kollegal taluk on January 10, 2018,” recalled V Sriprasad, former president of Kolagaala Meenugaarara Sahakara Sangha, who raised the issue in 2021 itself.
Tracing the history of Chamarajanagar town, the district headquarters, professor Shalvapille Iyengar of Karnataka State Open University said, it was previously known as ‘Arikotara’. “Its present name was bestowed in 1880 by then maharaja Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar. Earlier, in 1825, he had built a temple, Sri Chamarajeshwara, in memory of his father Chamaraja Wadiyar IX, in the Dravidian style. The ‘Janana Mantapa’ (birthplace) of Chamaraja Wadiyar is conserved in the town,” he said.
Antiquity
“Ramasamudram, a locality about 5 km from the core Chamarajanagar town, was a separate municipal town, from 1921 to 1961. In 1961, the two towns were merged into a single unit. There are ruins of Manipura, near Ramasamudram,” Iyengar said.
“Artefacts from Palaeolithic, Neolithic and Megalithic ages were found in parts of Yelandur, Chamarajanagar and Kollegal taluks. Gangas ruled over the greater part of the district till 1004 AD. Gangas initially had their capital at Skandapura, now Gajalahatti in Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu, on the banks of River Moyar. During the Gangas, parts of Chamarajanagar district were a part of ‘Punnadu’ kingdom, with its capital at Kittipura, now Kittur on the banks of River Kabini in HD Kote taluk of Mysuru district. In the 5th century, Ganga king Avinita married a daughter of Skandavarma, a Punnadu king, and later, his son Durvinita absorbed Punnadu into the Ganga empire,” Iyengar said.
Wadiyar legacy
“During Srirangaraya, viceroy of Vijayanagar empire at Srirangapatana, a line of kings ruled Padinadu (now Hadinadu) and there were also chiefs at Ummathur and Mugur. The rajas of Ummathur exercised control over Nilgiris (Tamil Nadu). In 1673, Ummathur was annexed by the Wadiyars. Since then, the history of the parts of Chamarajanagar district are closely associated with Mysuru,” points out Iyengar.
“Following reorganisation of States in 1956, Kollegal taluk of the erstwhile Coimbatore district, Madras Presidency, became a part of Mysuru district. On August 15, 1997, itself, then deputy chief minister Siddaramaiah inaugurated the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Chamarajanagar town. On the same day, six more districts - Udupi, Davanagere, Haveri, Koppal, Gadag and Bagalkot – were formed, following reports by Vasudev Rao Samithi, Hundikar Samithi, Gaddhigowdar Samithi and Zilla Horata Samithi,” Sriprasad recalled.
Need for new concept
Chamarajanagar is often described as a ‘backward district’, but the concept of development needs to be re-defined for a district that is rich in natural wealth - forests and wildlife, Sriprasad said.
“The district shares borders with two states – Tamil Nadu and Kerala – thus new avenues can be explored for business and economy. Organic industries can be explored. Presently, the focus of tourism is purely on forests – Bandipur and Nagarahole national parks. But, there is potential in heritage, religious and spiritual tourism. There is no proper memorial for the Wadiyar kings, especially Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar and Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, who have contributed immensely to the areas presently in the district,” Sriprasad said.
The cabinet meeting was initially fixed for January. Later, it was scheduled for February 13. However, it was postponed to February 15. Again, citing the weekend, it was postponed to February 17.