TalakÃÂdu is a town on the left bank of the Kaveri river 45 km (28 miles) from Mysore and 133 km (82 miles) from Bangalore in Karnataka, India. Latinizations of the towns name vary, but include TalkÃÂd, Talakadu, Talakkadu, or Thalakadu. It had over 30 temples, most of which now lay buried in sand. The extant group of temples, where the eastward flowing KÃÂveri river changes course as the sand on its banks spreads over a wide area, is a popular pilgrimage site for Hindus.
The origin of the town is lost in antiquity, but one tradition is that its name was derived from two KirÃÂta twin brothers, Tala and KÃÂdu. The brothers cut down a tree after seeing wild elephants worship it and discovered it contained an image of Shiva and that the elephants were rishis transformed. The tree being miraculously restored, all obtained mà Âksha and the place was named Tala-kÃÂdu, which was translated into Sanskrit as Dala-vana. Two stone images declared to represent the brothers are pointed out in front of the temple Veerabadra swamy. In a later age, RÃÂma is said to have halted here on his expedition to Lanka.
The earliest authentic mention of the city of TalekÃÂd or TalakÃÂdu, in Sanskrit Dalavana-pura, is in connection with the Ganga line of kings. Harivarma, who has been assigned to find a place (247âÂÂ266 CE) was, according to an old chronicle, installed at Skandapura (said to be Gajalhatti, in the Coimbatore country, near where the MoyÃÂr flows into the BhavÃÂni), but resided in the great city of Dalavanapura in the KarnÃÂta-dÃÂsa. After TalkÃÂd became the capital these powerful sovereigns and there the subsequent kings of that line were crowned.
At the beginning of the eleventh century CE, the Western Gangas succumbed to the Chà Âlas, who captured TalkÃÂd and gave it the name of RÃÂjarÃÂjapura. But about a century later the Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana, who drove the Chà Âlas out of Mysore, took it. After this time, TalkÃÂd was composed of seven towns and five mathas. The town of MÃÂyilangi or Malingi, on the opposite side of the river, was also a large place and had the name of JananÃÂthapura. Until the mid-fourteenth century, it remained a possession of the Hoysalas and then passed into the hands of a feudatory of the Vijayanagar sovereigns, whose line appears to be known as that of Sà Âma-RÃÂja.
In 1610 CE, the Mysore RÃÂja conquered Talakadu under the following circumstances. Tirumala-RÃÂjaâÂÂsometimes called Srë Ranga RÃÂyaâÂÂthe representative of the Vijayanagar family at Srirangapatna, being afflicted with an incurable disease, came to TalkÃÂd for the purpose of offering sacrifices in the temple of VaidyÃÂsvara. His second wife RÃÂni Alamelamma was left in charge of the government of Srirangagapattanam, but sheâÂÂhearing he was on the point of deathâÂÂsoon after left for TalkÃÂd with the object of seeing him before he died, handing over Srirangapattanam and its dependencies to RÃÂja Wodeyar of Mysore, whose dynasty ever since retained them. It appears that RÃÂja Wodeyar had been desirous of possessing the jewels which was the property of the RÃÂni, and being unable to obtain them and eager to seize at any pretext, he levied an army and proceeded against the Rani. RÃÂni Alamelamma went to the banks of the Cauvery, and throwing in the jewel, drowned herself opposite MÃÂlangi, at the same time uttering a three-fold curse: "Let TalakÃÂd become sand; let MÃÂlangi become a whirlpool; let the Mysore RÃÂjas fail to beget heirs." The latter part continues to affect the royal family.
Talakadu is also tagged to the curse called "Curse of Talakadu" by Alamelamma on the Wodeyar dynasty (former Maharajas) of Mysore.
The following is what is known as the curse of TalkÃÂd, in the original:
<blockquote> TalkÃÂdu MaralaÃÂgi,<br />MÃÂlingi maduvaÃÂgi,<br />Mysuru dhorege makkalagade hà Âgali!<br />(à ²¤à ²²à ²Âà ²¾à ²¡à ³ à ²®à ²°à ²³à ²¾à ²Âà ²¿; à ²®à ²¾à ²²à ²¿à ²Âà ²Âà ²¿ à ²®à ²¡à ³Âà ²µà ²¾à ²Âà ²¿, à ²®à ³Âà ²¸à ³Âà ²°à ³ à ²¦à ³Âà ²°à ³Âà ²Âà ³ à ²®à ²Âà ³Âà ²Âà ²³à ²¾à ²Âà ²¦à ³ à ²¹à ³Âà ²Âà ²²à ²¿!) </blockquote>
The curse may be translated into English by:<blockquote>May Talakadu become desert land,
Malangi become a whirlpool,
And Mysore Kings bear no heirs!</blockquote>The old city TalkÃÂd is completely buried beneath the sand stretching for nearly a mile in length, only the tops of two gopuras being visible. The sand hills used to advance upon the town at the rate of 9 or 10 feet a year, principally during the south-west monsoon and as they pressed it close on three sides. The inhabitants of TalkÃÂd were constantly forced to abandon their houses and retreat further inland. The town, however, is increasing in population, owing to the rich wet cultivation in the neighbourhood, derived from the MÃÂdhavamantri anicut and channel. More than thirty temples are beneath the sand, but the KÃÂrti NÃÂrÃÂyana temple has been successfully excavated. The most imposing temple left uncovered by the sand is that of Vydyanatheshwara temple.
In the early nineteenth century, two templesâÂÂÃÂnandÃÂsvara and GaurisankaraâÂÂwere unearthed. Four fragmentary records were found on the outer walls of the PÃÂtÃÂlÃÂsvara temple. One of these is an old inscription in Kannada of the Ganga period, the others being in Tamil. The ÃÂnandÃÂsvara temple is said to have been built by one ChidÃÂnandasvÃÂmi, a contemporary of Haidar. A story is related to that of the SvÃÂmi that he once crossed the Cauvery in full flood seated on a plantain leaf and that Haidar who witnessed the miracle greatly honoured him and made a grant of land for the temple founded by him. A Kannada inscription at the Gaurisankara temple tells us that this temple was built during the reign of the Mysore king Chikka-DÃÂva-RÃÂja-Wodeyar (1672âÂÂ1704). The Hoysala ruler, Vishnuvardhana, conquered the Gangas and Talakadu. He built the impressive Vijayanarayana Chennakesava Temple at Belur.
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C. Hayavadana Rao, B.A., B.L., Fellow, University of Mysore, Editor, Mysore Gazetteer, 1930, Government Press, Bangalore.