HULIYAPPA, The Tiger God

Since time immemorial, Indian culture had encouraged harmonious living with nature. We have a great tradition of respecting all the elements that constitute our universe. The worship of Mother Nature is very common among many indigenous cultures. This is reflected in celebrating festivals, observing rituals, worshipping trees and animals. Among all animal worships tiger worship is more fascinating.

Tiger worship can be seen among tribal and people residing close to forests. The reasons for tiger worship are two fold- one the ethics of conserving all living beings on earth that are created by God and show reverence to his creation; second the fear of tiger attack and the hope that his worship would please him and the cattle and family would get protection. Tiger, though greatly feared, are afforded protection on religious grounds. In Hinduism tiger worship is associated with Shivism. Shiva is clad in tiger skin; his wife Parvati’s vehicle is tiger. In many tribal societies tiger god is called Vyaghreshwara.

Abhisheka ritual carried out to the idol of Huliyappa

Tiger worship in Uttara Kannada has a unique cultural and religious tradition. Tiger population, though scanty at present, once thought to be high in the forests of Western Ghats. Popularly called Huliyappa, the tiger god is worshipped with reverence and elaborate rituals. Not only the idols of Huliyappa are installed as per the vedic rituals but he enjoys the same status and respect as any other prime Hindu God. 

During our recent visit to Uttara Kannada District, we witnessed a grand festival and fair dedicated to Huliyappa at Kalagaar village, approximately 3 kms from Sirsi town. Kalagaar Huliyappa is associated with Mahaganapathi temple of Tailagar village, which is 1.5 kms away from Kalagaar village. This is an annual fair celebrated on Karthika Bahula Amavasye each year. The temple premise is called Huliyappana Katte.

'Baalakkondu Kayi'- A coconut for a tail

We were mesmerized by the elaborate rituals performed by a team of purohits. The pooje started after midnight. Huliyappa was offered Shodashopachara pooje, the 16 fold worship such as avahana, asana, abhisheka, vastra, pushpaalankara, naivedya, aarati etc. Then began the most unique ritual ‘Baalakkondu kayi’- a coconut for a tail! Villagers offer a coconut for every cattle they possess! All the villagers in the surrounding area offer coconuts. The entire premises of Huliyappa temple was filled with broken coconuts. The offerings range from coconuts, bananas, flowers to silver and gold items like cradles, face and body parts. This continued for the whole night till the next day afternoon. The people strongly believe that Huliyappa will protect their cattle and make their life comfortable. Not just this, they also believe that Huliyappa will bring back their lost cow, solve health problems of their children and domestic problems too!

Thousands from the neighborhood throng to seek the blessings of Huliyappa

Huliyappana Jaatre (Huliyappa Fair) is a typical village fair. Temporary tent shops, eateries outlets, local delicacies, roadside sellers are a common site. Thousands of people pour in and the queue runs into several kilometers. In addition, the popular drum dance Dollu Kunitha is performed and special songs in praise of Huliyappa are sung. 

Here is the Youtube link for the Huliyappa Song....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hw7WiYQlMCM

The next day volunteer team will go on the cleaning mission. Garbage from the entire area and roads is cleared. Swatch Bharat dream can be fulfilled if everybody follows these footsteps and contributes towards maintaining cleanliness. The voluntary service of these village youth is highly commendable. It was a wonderful experience to witness the Huliyappa Fair. The devotion and enthusiasm shown by the people during the overnight celebrations was feast to eyes.

Many a times, the educated men tend to look down upon the villagers as primitive, backward and superstitious. They may be uneducated and disadvantaged in some ways, but their concern for nature and understanding of life places them above all. The iconographic worship of Huliyappa teaches us a lesson.

“Look upon every life on earth as an invaluable gift. It is not a possession to be exploited, but an object of reverence and a sacred mutual trust and loving intimacy”.

Tracing the Roots.....

They are simple but gorgeous, wear heavy jewellery but look graceful, are lively and lovely women. The Halakki Vokkaliga community, a distinct tribal group of Uttara Kannada district that live near the foothills of Western Ghats, has its own unique culture and tradition. 

Halakki Gowdati. Wrinkles on her face contrast with the smooth beads she adores around her neck.

The Halakki women are innocent, hardworkn and kind hearteThe Halakki women are innocent, hardworkn and kind hearted. They have their own distinct identity. Tanned skin and slim physique speak about their hard work. 

Several layers of black bead necklaces entangled with each other, delicate but complicated entanglement of necklaces. Each layer is made up of three lines intertwined into a plait. How sharp and powerful would be her eyes to thread these beads!!

Six or more layers of bead necklaces, metal bangles on arms, very unique way of wearing sarees, big nose studs, pan stained teeth and lips - these are the special identities of Halakki women which make them stand out in the crowd.

Halakki women wear metal armlets on their lower arms above the elbow. These bangles are generally made of brass and are wider than the normal bangles women wear.

According to Dr. L. G. Bhat, who has worked extensively on the tradition and culture of Halakki community, the word ‘Halakki’ might have originated from a wedding ritual of Havyaka Brahmin community.  The Halakkis, who lead the wedding procession, have a special privilege of sprinkling milk and rice (called haalu and akki in Kannada) to please the ghosts. 

It’s their routine and not festive look! 

Burden of beads!! How comfortably women work in spite of heavy jewellery!!

Eye catching layers of beads. As Traditional so Modern!

Halakki Gowdati is proudly showing her beads. Very tiny yellow beads line entangled with yellow-black line to give a good contrast. The little one is wondering.

Though there is no documented literature to prove the origin of Halakkis, their folk songs and folklore tell us an interesting story. Parvati, while carrying lunch for her husband Shiva who was ploughing the field, accidentally spills milk and rice ( haalu and akki in kannada). Sad Parvati makes a male and a female doll out of wet mud mixed with rice. Shiva who comes in search of his wife finds sorrowful Parvati. On his first touch the mud images come alive. He blesses them to continue to be farmers and their community to be known as Halakkis, meaning people born out of haalu(milk) and akki( rice). 

For city girls these beads necklaces are a fashion. They are in great demand. They go well with traditional as well as modern outfits.

Two girls in Halakki get up! Striking a pose and appreciating each other’s look.

During our recent visit to Halakki colonies, we met Halakki Gowda (male head of Halakki family) and Gowdati (female head of Halakki family) and had a casual chat with them. We found the older generation of women are very proud of their attire and culture and very few women follow the traditional dressing. 

Wonder how did she wear them? She smiled, ‘not a problem. I use soap remove the armlets whenever I want to wash them and again with the help of soap I again wear them’

With the changing societies and community needs one has to change the lifestyle, but should not forget the tradition and identity. The younger generation cannot follow the traditional Halakki dressing style for obvious reasons. The vanishing Halakki culture can be preserved only if they follow on special occasions like festivities and wedding celebrations.

She feels proud of her Halakki culture- her attire, celebration of festivals and marriages in traditional way. “Now weddings are done in hired halls. Where is the grandeur of decorating homes, mantapas, rangolis, flowers!”, she lamented.    

Row of colourful bead malas on sale. Look at the variety!

The vibrant culture of Halakki community is fascinating. Their beliefs and life style are very unique and culture rich.

The Adventures of a Crazy Sailor

Consider these situations. You travel to an unknown foreign land without any plan, meet people of varied cultures who speak unfamiliar tongue, stay with them for many years, tolerate extreme conditions, suffer hardships but still you enjoy to the core. Sounds crazy?! But if you are a highly sociable geek with an interest in each and everything, you will never mind taking such risks.

Political map of Italy during Renaissance: (source Internet) 

Here is a thrilling story of an unusual traveller.  He was adventurous who plodded through the deserts, crossed seas on ships, sailed on rivers by boats, rode on camels and bullock carts, observed each action of men and women with x-ray eyes, questioned curiously but reported honestly, collected books, plants, spoke native tongue and recorded the smallest of the smallest details of his experiences in his diary.  

The Italian pilgrim, linguist and avid correspondent, Pietro Della Valle (1586-1652), is one of the most remarkable travellers of Renaissance. The Renaissance (14th - 17th century) dawned a new era of the spirit of inquiry, curiosity in learning and discovering new things. Beginning in Florence in Italy, it spread all over Europe with an emphasis on intellectual inquiry. Renaissance is sometimes called The Age of Explorers whose discoveries helped expand horizons and shape the geopolitical world as we know it. Italian traveller Pietro Della Valle is one of the most important, yet least known travellers of 17th century who travelled to the Middle East and India. His contribution to the western knowledge of the societies of Middle East and west coast of India and his romantic personal life have been ignored mainly because of the non-availability of his voluminous letters in standard English for a long time.

Portrait of  the exceptionally adventurous traveller Pietro Della Valle 

Born on 2nd April, 1586 to a wealthy, aristocratic Roman family, Pietro received excellent education. His younger days were very eventful. He penned poetry, gave speeches, served as a soldier in the papal service, served as a member of the Roman Academy of Science and Literature (Academy of Amoristie) and loved his beloved girl for twelve long years! Unfortunately his girl disappointed him by marrying another man. Dejected Pietro moved to Naples and was depressed to the point of considering suicide. He was advised by his close friend and physician, Mario Schipano, to travel and visit holy places as an alternative to suicide. 

Pietro Della Valle decided to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land of Jerusalem. How can an adventurous Pietro make his voyage so simple as visiting only Jerusalem? Hardly did he know that he would stay for months and years together in places of his interest! He began his voyage from Venice on 8th June, 1614 and reached Istanbul, where he spent a year learning Turkish, Arabic, Persian and Hebrew .He left for Jerusalem via Alexandria by sea and later to Cairo, Mount Sinai and Gaza by land eventually reaching Jerusalem at the time of Easter celebrations. 

For Pietro, the visit to Cairo was a blast from the past! While at Cairo, he visited the pyramids at Giza in 1615 and organised a primitive archaeological dig. He went down through the passage to reach the mummies, pulled out two mummies, ripped open one and inspected its bones!! He was thrilled to see the Fayum portraits (The Fayum portraits are a type of realistic painted portraits on wooden boards attached to Egyptian mummies). He transported two well packed Fayum mummies to Rome which now form a part of Egyptian collection in Dresden Art Gallery at Rome. Thus, Pietro was the first European to discover and describe mummy portraits.

 

Fascinating journey of Pietro: Unexpected , but exciting twists and turns!!

On his return journey, this crazy sailor completely changed his direction and scope of his travels! He decided to join a caravan proceeding towards Bagdad. How can he not change his destination when he was destined to meet his beloved? He fell in love with a Syrian Christian girl, Manni Giorida (In Arabic Manni means 'intelligent'), and married her and resumed his journey with her. After exploring Persia for four years, he started for Persepolis. He was prevented from continuing his journey due to the war. Pietro had to face lot of hardships and Manni died in 1621.He wished to take her body to Rome to perform funerals as per Christian custom and bury her alongside of his ancestors. His experience of Egyptian mummies came to his help. He requested some local women to remove her inner body parts and embalm with camphor so that he could preserve the body till he reached Rome. He requested them to take special care of her heart. The women brought the embalmed heart and showed him!! What an emotional moment to see his beloved's heart! 

None of the English ships was ready to carry a dead body. Pietro reached Ormus via Lar and Shiraz on a camel. He hid the dead body of Manni under clothes in a big box, spread the rumour that he had sent the body to Rome and boarded a British ship going towards Surat, India. He visited Ahmedabad, Surat, Goa, Honavar, Gerusoppa, Ikkeri, Calicut and Mangalore. Throughout his journey Della Valle maintained the secret of the dead body!! Finally he reached Rome on 4th April 1626 via Muscat. 

After reaching Rome, with his usual sense of humour he wrote that he entered his house through the back door 'as is fitting for a widower'. Pietro fulfilled his wish by burying the remains of his beloved wife in the Church of Ara Coeli at Rome. His long absence of 12 years from Rome made people believe that he was dead. Pietro Della Valle had to produce a 'living' certificate to prove that he was alive! He lived in Rome for the rest of his life, engaged in intellectual activities, music compositions and married Maria, a Georgian girl who accompanied him throughout his journey. He had 14 sons from her. Pietro Della Valle breathed his last in 1652.  

Bust of Pietro Della Valle erected at a park in Rome

From the beginning of his travels, Della Valle wrote letters regularly to his learned Doctor friend Schipano (the one who advised him to go on a pilgrimage). Della Valle's writings were unsystematic verbose outpourings written and sometimes scribbled, at a great speed and were unusually lengthy. He expected Schpano to edit them into a understandable form which he hardly did. There were fifty four letters in total. Della Valle wrote his last letter from Goa, India, on 4th November, 1624. The accounts of his travels 'Viaggi'(which means travelogue) were published under three heads: Turkey, Persia and India. It was only two years before his death that the first volume of letters was published, slightly edited with the excision of a few personal details; after Della Valle's death the second and third volumes, edited by four of his sons were published in 1658. They were translated into French, Dutch, English and German. In 1664 the 'Viaggi' of India was translated to English and was republished by Hakluyt Society in 1892 in two volumes. Eight letters of Della Valle, written from India, contain his travel experiences in India: 1st from Surat, 2nd & 3rd from Goa, 4th from Honavar, 5th from Ikkeri, 6th from Mangalore, 7th & 8th from Goa. 

Pietro Della Valle was a unique traveler and his undertakings were unusual for travelers of his period. The wide geographical range of his travels, his vivid description of topography, customs, languages, peoples, his accurate graphic presentation of personal experiences are all responsible for the editorial success of his 'Viaggi'. In his preface to the reader, he states that his 'letters were not intended for a single reader, nor for a single place, nor just for men now living, but for the whole world and for the centuries to come'. His travel accounts of the Middle East and India created interest among Europeans to take to Arabic and other oriental studies. His accounts are trustworthy because he was very honest in recording what he saw with his own eyes and what he heard from others. He notes,'I was told but no way of establishing.....' or ' I tried to find out more about this'. He refused to comment on what he had not witnessed. 

A sculpture of Pietro Dalla Valle in a museum at Milan, Italy.

Della Valle adapted to the customs and traditions of the local people. When he was in Syria he sported a beard and long moustaches and wore Syrian clothes. When he reached Persia, he shaved of the beard , cheeks and chin and retained only long mustache. He explained to Manni,'when travelling to different countries it is necessary to adapt to different customs'. So practical it is!!

 In order to give an accurate idea of the landscapes of the eastern countries, he took along an artist with him to give a visual description through sketches and paintings. But unfortunately those numerous sketches and paintings that he mentions have not survived. On the way from Isfahan to Hormuz on the coast, he stopped at Persepolis to copy the cuneiform (ancient Mesopotamian script) from a rock inscription and later published (the first cuneiform to be seen in Europe). Though he could not decipher it, he correctly deduced that the writing was read from left to right.

 Pietro Della Valle, with his cultural sophistication, reacted to the intellectual and cultural life of people and royal families. He left a fitting memorial to the people of the Middle East and India in the form of letters. He exhibited an extraordinary personality, qualities of mind and spirit, intelligence, high spirits, power of acute observation, excellent narrative and descriptive skills. By virtue of his extensive travels and passion for visiting places, he got the nick name 'Pellegrino' which in Italian means 'tourist'. It is said that he added 'Pellegrino' to his signature.    

                                         

Unexpected Exploration

We are very happy to share this special post. With this our future journey to explore ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE appears very exciting. 

How do you feel when you discover something new? Excited? Curious? Yes, absolutely, we felt the same during our visit to this calm and undisturbed village.  Hardly had we thought that our visit to the ancient Lakshminarasimha temple will result in this new find, which can be an important evidence to know more about this less known historical place. We had every reason to be thrilled.

The lush green vegetation around HARADASE village.

Historically this land was under the rulers of one of the Kadamba branches of Chandavara. Surrounded by rich and beautiful evergreen forests of Western Ghats, this tiny hamlet is inhabited by small farming community. In some ancient inscriptions and scriptures there is a reference to an important religious centre ‘HARIDESHA’, which is identified with the present HARADASE village.

A foot path leading to the temple. 

During our recent visit to Haigunda for our conservation activities, we decided to take a short trip to HARADASE and take the blessings of Lord Lakshminarasimha. Though the date of the establishment of the temple is unknown, it is believed that the idol of Narasimha belongs to Chandavara kingdom. Close to the temple, inside the forest on a mound, an idol of HULIYAPPA is found. It is said that people used to worship HULIYAPPA to save their cattle from tiger attack. But till now there is no authentic evidence to connect the dots and missing links to reconstruct the history of the land.

Lord Lakshminarasimha - The visit to this temple was a blessing in disguise 

A stone slab with engraved letters in Kannada ' Sri Narasingadeva' found near the temple.

After travelling along the intertwining rough path which passed through the forest, we reached the temple. While taking a stroll around the temple, we observed a few stone slabs lying near the fence. On enquiring, we came to know that these stone slabs were recovered during excavation carried out for the purpose of temple renovation. One of the slabs attracted our attention as it had some carvings. On a closer observation, we found that it was an inscription!! The stone inscription was broken at the bottom. We could also find the broken piece lying nearby. On aligning both the pieces we could get the entire inscription.

The broken pieces  of stone inscription were aligned together

The inscription was unclear. It was covered with soil and other semi-solid substance. Even after a thorough wash the letters were not clearly visible. A creative mind finds unusual but useful solution!!!! It was decided to smear white lime solution on the entire stone slab, after drying wipe with wet cloth carefully so that the engraved depression part stays white and the remaining part is fully wiped. It worked!!! Now the inscription was fully readable!!! The white letters on the black stone looked beautiful too!!! The inscription has the carving of Shivalinga on top and the sun and the moon carvings on right and left side on the middle portion. Very interesting!! And we were the first to find and put it here on social media an inscription at HARADASE.

The carving of Shivalinga on top portion , surrounded by script in kannada.

The Sun on the right and the Moon on the left 

Inscriptions, apart from being vital political documents, are endowed with great cultural significance. HARADASE has been one of the important religious and cultural centers of ancient period. Now the challenge before us is to read and interpret the inscription, which we are going to meet shortly. Does the inscription throw light on the life and beliefs of people of those times? Does it reveal anything about the ruling kings? Does it reflect anything upon the forest ecology? How many more such inscriptional evidences are hidden unnoticed?
Imagination sets sail!!

Many broken and soiled stone slabs with carvings and scripts lying around the temple.

Gerusoppa- Harappa of Jains

Continuing our journey to explore the ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE, we bring forth a historical monument of the bygone era.

"Music, when soft voices die,
Vibrates in the memory,
Odors when sweet violets sicken,
Live within the sense they quicken”.

The soft vibrations of musical notes linger in our mind for a long time; the smell and beauty of flowers keep touching our senses even after they dry….

How true are these lines!! Past events set in motion the ripples of echo that would be heard a thousand and more generations to come. Knowledge of the past will enlighten and empower us to attempt greater achievements. History is a wise teacher and historical monuments bring to the forefront, the elegance and splendor of the bygone era. Here is one such place which reminds us of our glorious past. Who can afford to forget Gerusoppa?

Gerusoppa was a popular Jain centre between 13th and 16th centuries. It is situated 34 km from Honnavar. Historically known as Kshemapura, once the capital of SaLuva kings of Vijayanagara line, attained the golden peak in trade and commerce during the reign of Rani Chennabhairadevi, popularly known as Pepper Queen. This region is well known for its Cashew crop (Geru in Kannada) and historically known as “Bhallatakipura” (Bhallataka in Sanskrit means Cashew nuts), hence the name ‘Gerusoppa’(region of cashew trees).

Beautiful carvings on the star shaped platform and walls - steps leading to the doorway

Once upon a time, Gerusoppa area was known as Nagire Samsthana. Historical references state that 108 Jain temples existed at Gerusoppa spread over 700 acres. Unfortunately, Gerusoppa is in ruins today and only 5 Basadis have survived. Among them, Chaturmukha Basadi, Vardhamana Basadi, Neminatha Basadi, Parshwanatha Basadi, Mahavir Basadi are notable. But you all agree that these ruins are more beautiful than the buildings of modern era!!

Full view of Chaturmukha Basadi - Tranquillity redefined

The most important Basadi at Gerusoppa is CHATURMUKHA BASADI. It is in the midst of thick vegetation. If you travel on BH highway, along the Gerusoppa forest area you find boards displaying ‘Lion Tailed Macaque’ territory. Lucky you, if you see one or hear its sound. Cross the bridge in front of Sharavathi Tail Race dam, on the way keep your eyes and ears open for any sights or sounds of wild animals! Move ahead listening to the occasional tweets of birds, buzz of insects, rustling of leaves, you will reach a dodgy road, if it is rainy season you have to manage the puddles and slush all around!! Feel blessed on reaching the Basadi.

Serene and composed Thirthankara

Imposing front and side views of the Thithankaras - Chaturmukha Basadi

Jainism was at its peak in popularity, virtually becoming the state religion of Karnataka!! The Basadi has four identical doors in four directions leading to the Garbhagriha (Sanctum Sanctorum), hence the name CHATURMUKHA BASADI. It is built of granite and on star shaped platform. Each hall in front of the Garbhagriha has four thick pillars with a square base and hanging brackets on top. The Dwarapalakas carved in relief on either side of the four doorways wear tall crowns and each holding a club entwined by cobra. The Basadi also has other mural designs that are well executed with refinement. The outer wall of the Basadi has miniature models of temple Shikharas between empty niches.

The focal point of the fish eye  supposed to show the the exact place of the magic well !!

The CHATURMUKHA BASADI, a unique quadrangular structure, stands as a testimony to the art and architecture of ancient times. It was constructed in 16th century when An interesting legend says, there was a well containing special liquid in which if you dip iron, it would turn into gold!! Also the story says, the focal point of the fish eye which is carved on the wall of CHATURMUKHA BASADI supposed to show the exact place where this special well is situated.

Series of inscriptions lying near the Basadi

The temple complex consists of other stone inscriptions, stone images, a statute of Bahubali, broken carved lintels, Naga stones and many other carved stone pieces. Other Basadis can be identified only with the help of warning boards of ASI! The only monument which has remained the test of time and human greed is the Chaturmukha Basadi, beauty of which, even after 450 years, has remained marvelous inviting heritage enthusiasts.

Collage showing images of Thirthankaras, Bahubali seen around the Basadi  and deserted structures scattered around unprotected

Owing to its vast unexplored heritage and ruins, Gerusoppa is sometimes called ‘HARAPPA OF JAINS”. Ancient ruins give us a connection to the part that is visceral.

Imagine a brisk trading center hidden beneath the silent valley!! The fall off trade, defeat of the kingdom in the hands of the Portuguese, the fall of the Vijayanagar Empire, failure of Jainism to assimilate the life of local culture-all these won’t bother us more than the mute cry of each stone of the Basadi.

Who knows when this beautiful structure will crash down and the pieces of art become one among those scattered around!  No law, no rule, no force can save our monuments. Only self-realisation can.

Rain Forests - Our Saviors

In this post under GREEN HERITAGE we explore the biodiversity of Rain Forests of Western Ghats with special reference to Sharavathi river valley.

To live a responsible life on our planet, we need to learn to love our mother- the Mother Earth.World Environment Day is observed every year on 5^th June to stimulate a worldwide awareness of environment. This is our humble attempt to make our readers sensible and sensitive towards the planet they live. Our focus will be on one of the top ten biodiversity hotspots of the world, tropical rain forests of Sharavathi River Valley.

Western Ghats with rain forests, deep valleys and rivers

Tropical Rain Forests are the oldest ecosystems on this earth. Is it not amazing that although rain forests cover only around 6% of the earth, they account for 50% of the plants and animals found? The name itself suggests, these forests receive more than 2500 mm of rainfall throughout the year. Rain Forests contain four layers. The Emergent layer- that holds very big trees of about 200 feet tall with trunks measuring up to 16 feet in width and plenty of sunshine, the Canopy Layer- that possesses wide spread branches with lots of leaves creating a canopy sheltering many animal and bird species, the Understory Layer- that holds short trees with larger leaves and receive less sunshine sheltering wild animals, the Forest Floor Layer- that is dark and has a few plants sheltering wild animals.

Evergreen Tropical Rain Forests in Western Ghats 

Do we have anything to do with tallest trees, variety of animals and plant species of rain forests? Why should we bother about them? You may not have put lot of thought and consideration for the rain forests! Perhaps you should and you will!! Do you know they stabilize world climate, maintain water cycle, protect environment against soil erosion, floods and droughts, possess plenty of medicinal plants, they are the absorbers of carbon dioxide and suppliers of oxygen, they are the ancient most ecosystems on earth which have evolutionary links?
The rain forests of Western Ghats have extraordinary biological heritage which makes them one of the top most priorities for international conservation efforts. They are known for exceptional endemic species of flora and fauna, 38 east flowing and 37 west flowing river systems, 288 species of fresh water fishes of which 118 are endemic. Fresh water river systems are the most diverse and the richest ecosystems in the world. Among the west flowing rivers of Western Ghats, a few have been exploited for power generation, irrigation and fisheries. The Sharavathi, probably, is one the earliest rivers exploited.

Endangered and Endemic fauna of Western Ghats 

The Sharavathi river valley is nestled in the Western Ghats region of Uttara Kannada and Shivamogga Districts. The river rises at Ambuthirtha, flows towards the west and  joins the Arabian Sea at Honnavar. The valley comprises of many endangered ecosystems like Myristica Swamps, endangered tree Semecarpus kattalekanensis, unique flora like Gymnacranthera canarica (a wild plant species endemic to Western Ghats) and interesting fauna like Lion-tailed Macaque and Kumbara Frog. The vegetation ranges from evergreen forests, moist deciduous forests, shrubs to grasslands. Kattalekanu area makes Sharavathi basin a more ecologically sensitive and fragile region. The valley is the home for endangered species like Grey Headed Bulbul, Great Indian Hornbill, the endemic Black necked Stork and many more. It harbors thousands of flowering and medicinal plants. Sharavathi is termed as “Bhageerathi of Karnataka”.

                                   

Myristica swamps, endemic to Western Ghats

In the name of development Sharavathi has been exploited. Dam construction is one of them. The river has witnessed series of alterations post independence. There are three major dams built across Sharavathi- Linganamakki, Talakalale and Gerusoppa. Gerusoppa dam, known as Sharavathi Tail Race Project, is the latest hydro-electric power project commissioned in 2001. It is built at the tail end of other dams just before Sharavathi joins the Arabian Sea, hence the name. This reservoir submerged approximately 700 hectares of ever green rain forests in the valley. Submergence of evergreen rain forests in the valley is pushing the unique flora and fauna towards extinction. Do you think hydro power is renewable energy source? Not really in the strict sense of the term. It is, indeed, unclean energy in terms of polluting the climate with methane emissions. You will be shocked to know that hydro power stations account for 4% of manmade carbon emissions globally- equivalent to the world’s airline traffic combined!!

Sharavathi  River Valley

Obstruction to free flowing Sharavathi has resulted in poor sediment flow and excessive sedimentation at the bottom of the reservoir, resulting in rocky beds and poor habitats for aquatic life. Dams have fragmented the river making it difficult for aquatic fauna to migrate. The volume of water in the Sharavathi from the Gerusoppa dam down to Honnavar where it confluences with sea is very less. This has resulted in the reduction of nutrients reaching the sea affecting marine productivity and biodiversity. Rain forest fragmentation due to the dam, road constructions as well as farming activities has a severe effect on large trees. The life span of big trees can reduce as much as by 40% as their crowns are exposed to intense sunlight and evaporation. The elephant migratory path near Ambepalgudda is obstructed due to reservoir.Lack of scientific study of the river system, its flow, nutrition content, forethought of after effects of dam construction, lack of political will, lack of expertise to look squarely at the problem, ignoring ‘river health’- all these are responsible for taking wrong decisions.

Top photo: Catchment  area after the Tail Race dam construction. Bottom photo: Reduced flow of Sharavathi from dam down the line till confluence at Honnavar.

Do you think that resources are free gifts of nature as is assumed by many? If ‘yes’, then you are absolutely wrong! By thinking so, we are claiming our absolute rights over the earth. We share this earth with millions of other living beings. We are just a part of this complex web of ecological system. There is enough in nature to satisfy our needs, but not for our greed! In every sense, standing rain forests bring more wealth than if they are cleared.

The need of the hour is not only to educate people but also to involve them in conservation work. People’s management is essential in ecological restoration. Academic research and knowledge should get translated into action. Let us not clog the arteries of the planet in the name of development. Let us not forget we are very much dependent on nature for our own existence.

 

Let us be more sensitive and sensible towards our forest wealth.

It is worth recalling the  interview of Maneka Gandhi, published in Times of India on 14^th August, 1990, when she was the Minister of State for Environment and Forests. She referred to Tail Race dam across the Sharavathi river and it was told to her that the submerging land was barren. Later she started getting complaints of animal attacks on humans. Wondering how could there be wild animals in a barren land, she sent an honest officer for investigation and came to know that, in fact the land was evergreen rain forest. And the greedy contractors, supported by bureaucrats, would cut all the trees as the land was on paper supposed to be ‘barren’. 

http://www.devalt.org/newsletter/nov94/lead.htm

    “The tree is a peculiar organism of unlimited kindness and benevolence and makes no demand for sustenance, and extends generously the products of its life activity. It affords protection to all beings, offering shade even to the axe men who destroy it”---          Goutama Buddha ( 487 B.C.)

The Pepper Queen

   In this post under ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE we explore the life of an enigmatic queen.

Stories of kings and queens always attract the young and the old alike. Indian history is abundant with interesting tales of brave queens.In India, where women strive to emulate Sita,are docile and meekly submit without resisting,there were valiant women taking up arms against enemies and very often succeeded in their attempts.Is it not fascinating to know about brave queens with killing instinct, warrior traits, never say ‘never’ attitude who gave nightmares to the enemies?  Here comes one such brave ruler Rani Chennabhairadevi, the queen of Gerusoppa, who ruled for 54 years, the longest rule of all the queens of India.

Brass idol of Queen Chennabhairadvi

Gerusoppa, situated on the banks of the river Sharavathi in Uttara Kannada district, was under the control of the Vijayanagara kings. In the decentralized Vijayanagara empire, various regions were ruled by royal families known as Mahamandaleshwaras. By the early 1550s Chennabhairadevi, who belonged to Saluva dynasty, became the queen. As per the inscriptions her kingdom extended from south of Goa, Uttara Kannada, Dakshina Kannada to Malabar region. This region is best known not only for important harbors like Bhatkala, Honnavar, Mirjan, Ankola and Baindur but also for pepper. Honnavar and Bhatkala served as internal and international flourishing trading centers. Arabian horses and weapons were imported from the west. Pepper, betel nut and nutmeg were exported to Europe and Arab countries.

Idol is tiny,  but her accomplishments are huge!!

From the beginning of her rule, Chennabhairadevi found herself on confrontation with the neighboring rival kingdoms as well as the Portuguese. The attempts of the Keladi kings and Bilgi chieftains to pull the queen down turned futile. The queen had to resist the advance of the Portuguese who tried to grab the control over the ports and trade. She was at war with the Portuguese in 1559 and again in 1570 and crushed the Portuguese army with her intelligent battle strategy and defended her territory.  One of the Portuguese chronicles states that during the war of 1570 Portuguese attacked Honnavar and burnt it to the ground (a familiar Portuguese strategy). After the decline of the Vijayanagar, Chennabhairadevi dealt with the Portuguese very diplomatically, who nicknamed her ‘Raina de Pimenta’ – the Pepper Queen.

Mirjan Fort - The Queen is believed to be the resident of this fort. Later this Fort became an important trading centre.

An interesting letter sheds more light on importance of pepper trade with the Portuguese. Affonso Mexia, the Portuguese Captain of Cochin, writes to the King of Portugal, ‘Between Baticala and Goa there are certain places called Onor, Mergen and Ancola, from which I hear 5000 crusados worth of pepper are annually shipped…… these places are under the dominion of Queen of Guarcopa…..This pepper is larger than that in Cochin, but is lighter and not so hot. It appears to me that we ought to secure…..’

Chaturmukha Basadi, Gerusoppa,  originally built by Chennabhairadevi

Queen Chennabhairadvi was a Jain. The ChaturmukhaBasadi of Gerusoppa is attributed to her. She gave grants to Shaiva and Vaishnava temples too. Saraswath Brahmin businessmen and skilled Konkani craftsmen took shelter in her kingdom to escape Portuguese persecution. The famous Jain scholars Akalanka and Bhattakalaka were under the patronage the Queen. She is credited with building the Mirjan Fort and is believed to be the resident of the fort for several years.

A letter written by Jnanapeeth Awardee Dr. Shivarama Karanth, to one of the authors of this Blog, Ravi Hegde 

The Keladi and Bilgi chiefs adopted ‘Unity is Strength’ formula. Matrimonial alliances brought these two families together. The combined forces of Keladi and Bilgi attacked Gerusoppa, finally defeating the Queen. Gerusoppa came under the control of Keladi. The ageing queen was taken prisoner to Keladi and she breathed her last in prison. The Portuguese had the last laugh. If the same strategy of Unity was adopted against the foreign intruders, the History of India would have been different!!

Queen Chennabhairadevi projects herself as a powerful and courageous woman of her age, when other women stayed indoors under submission. Chennabhairadevi was the contemporary of the Queen ElizabethIof England and succeeded in ruling for the longest period against all odds. Her struggle, ups and downs in life, glory and determination are beacon lights for the modern women.    

Tempted to quote Shakespeare from Julius Caesar

         Cowards die many times before their deaths,

           The valiant never taste of death, but once.