Historians not happy with 'light and sound' show

A few historians are not happy with the sound and light show, launched after a long delay, on Tuesday, in the town.

The show was supposed to have been launched in 2007 itself, to commemorate the 1857 Uprising. However, the project took a long time and was finally inaugurated on Tuesday.

Historian Thyluru Venkatakrishna said, the episode of Kanteerava Narasaraja Wadiyar’s soldiers beheading the traitor and bringing his head and the dialogues of the king was cinematic. “No such instance is mentioned in any history book. Most of the Wadiyar kings have accorded importance to irrigation projects and laid Virija, Chikkadevaraja Sagar, Bangaradoddi and other canals. They have also constructed several lakes in various parts of their kingdom. There is no mention of the contribution of the Wadiyars towards, literature, culture and other art forms. No importance is given for Dasara celebrations,” he said.

Textbooks Committee member M R Suresh said, the show had nothing about the developments after the fall of Tipu Sultan. “Tipu’s greatest achievement is the use of rockets during the war. But, the subject does not find a mention here. The time dedicated for 25 Wadiyar kings of the Yadu dynasty, spread over four centuries, is little,” he said.

Krishna Kumar of Innovative Lighting System Corporation, the implementing agency, said, the Rs 3.2 crore project was based on the script of Nisargapriya (Siddagangaiah Kambal) and approved by the Archeological Survey of India.