The sacred ponds of Shivagange

Carvings of mythological characters near the Kamala tirtha.

Kamala Tirtha

Bande mele,” (On rocks) was my reply to the elderly gentleman, travelling with me on the passenger train from Bengaluru to Dobbaspet. He had asked me how I climbed various hills. The elderely man was taking his city-bred great-grandchildren to his place of birth, a few miles beyond Shivagange.

Stories of his childhood in the early 20th century, with few amenities and without even electricity, kept us all mesmerised.

Alighting at the railway station, we walked to the Dobbaspet bus stand and then took a bus heading towards Magadi.

As I got down at Shivagange, his parting words about ‘tirthas’ (holy ponds), around the hill, intrigued me. When I made enquiries, locals told me about two such tirthas inside a mutt complex. Another was located near the Kudur bus stand, they said. This was new information to me.

Presently known as ‘Shivagange Gudi Kola’, this fenced water body with steps also finds a mention in the 1915 Annual Report of the Archaeological Survey of Mysore. The word Kalyani is similar to Pushkarni, Kunda, Pukhuri, Ambalakkulam, and Sarovara, used in various parts of India for sacred water tanks.

The moment I entered through one of the four gates, I was in for a great surprise. On the parapet were stone slabs with beautiful carvings. Around the periphery were also nicely etched carvings that I could relate to various epic tales. After a cursory look, I took another round, halting and keenly observing the scenes depicted on every single slab.

Carvings

The slabs feature many scenes from the Ramayana and Bhagavata Purana. The sage Rishyasringa, who is said to have been born with horns of deer, is also depicted. His mother was a doe and his father the renowned sage Vibhandaka. He is depicted as the chief priest for the Putrakameshti Yagna performed by King Dasharatha.

A notable feature of this tirtha is that all the steps leading to the water surface are carved with different figures at regular intervals.

The Kakudgiri Kshetra, where the Kamala tirtha is located, is today famous as Shivagange Kshetra. ‘Kakud’ in Kannada means ‘shikhara’ (peak). Kalale Nanjaraja, a famous mid-18th century poet, has also mentioned the area in his poem ‘Kakudgiri Mahatme’, exalting the greatness and importance of this place.

Mention of Kakudgiri Kshetra is found in many other inscriptions found in Devarayana Durga, Nelamangala, Gubbi and Tumakuru taluks, dating back to 1720. Most early annual reports of the Archaeological Department of Mysore State also feature the architectural structures, carvings and idols found in the Kakudgiri region.

Coming back to the site of the tirtha, I climbed a small hillock, to capture the panoramic view of the Kamala tirtha. All those unidentified, nameless sculptors who toiled hard to produce such wonderful art need to be appreciated, I pondered.