Sangolli Rayanna Rock Garden part-1

Early Y2023 I was browsing Google Maps, that's when I stumbled upon a place marked "Sangolli Rayanna Rock Garden." I took the literal meaning.. garden of rock formations. Then I learned it was a memorial to the XIX Century freedom fighter Rayanna of Sangolli village. It was nice to see a warrior of Kannada land being honored in a grand manner. For those are unaware of Rayanna- he was a close aide of Rani Chennamma of Kittur kingdom. Chennamma and Rayanna are known for their valor, they were powerful leaders who sacrificed their lives protecting the freedom of Kittur kingdom.

Aug 14, 2024. It had been a long time since we had travelled out of time together. A plan to visit to Sangolli formed. After good rains the countryside be interesting with ponds, streams & green fields. The plan was to visit Gangambike Aikyasthala and Rayanna Garden on Independence Day. People of Dharwad and Belgaum districts have high regard for Chennamma and Rayanna, they are synonymous to bravery.

Aug 15, 2024. We woke up early as usual, completed the morning duties, prepared & packed avalakki and left home around 8-30. By 9-15 we reached Gangambike memorial. Gangambike was Jagatjyoti Basaveshwara's wife. The place we were visiting is her Aikyasthala, the place she left this world and merged into Shiva's feet. We spent about 30 minutes there, then went back to AH47 (formerly National Highway No. 4), found a silent spot on the service road, had breakfast and headed towards Sangolli. We reached Rayanna Garden by 10-45, the vehicle parking place was throning with two-wheelers, four-wheeler and people. No surprises at that- Aug 15th is Rayanna's birth anniversary.

The sight of this fort-like facade, a pair model canons and a life-size statue of Rayanna astride a horse is impressive.

Entry ticket is ₹100 per person which I felt is reasonable. This reminded us of our visit to Utsav Garden near Shiggaon where ticket costed ₹200 per person. Utsav Garden honors artists and showcases rural scenes. The time we spent there was well worth.

As we pass through the doorway, there's a temple on the left hand side. This is the first exhibit of this garden - Rayanna's grandfather Rogappa at a village temple. Every major exhibit is tagged with captions in Kannada and English. Below is the transcript of the captions. I've taken the liberty to share captions of almost all exhibits & paintings so that blog readers get the story here.

ಶ್ರೀ ಮಲ್ಲೇಶ್ವರ ಪೂಜೆ
ರೋಗಪ್ಪ ಮತ್ತು ಅವರ ಕುಟುಂಬದವರು ಶ್ರೀ ಮಲ್ಲೇಶ್ವರ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನದಲ್ಲಿ ಪೂಜೆ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸುತ್ತಿರುವುದು

Worshipping God Malleshwar
Rogappa and his family are seen here worshipping God Malleswara in a temple at Sangolli.

This is the inner gateway, another impressive creation of an ancient building. This pair of horses is very popular for photo shoots. I saw so many people pose next to the horse for a portrait. Some even sit their kids on the horse back for pictures which is not permitted. The park management had posted staff to watch out for over-enthusiasm. Our people still need to be managed, still a long way to attain maturity in terms of general etiquette.

The story of Rayanna rolls on with a scene of Kittur king honoring Rogappa with a title. I'll let the pictures & captions do the story telling.

ಸಾವಿರ ಒಂಟೆಯ ಸರದಾರ
ಕ್ರಿ.ಶ. 1778 ರಲ್ಲಿ ಗೋಕಾಕ ಪ್ರದೇಶವನ್ನು ವಶಪಡಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವುದಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ನಡೆದ "ಚಿಣಗಿ ಕೊಳವಾಡ" ಯುದ್ಧದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಂಗೊಳ್ಳಿ ರಾಯಣ್ಣನ ಅಜ್ಜ ರೋಗಪ್ಪ ತೋರಿದ ಶೌರ್ಯ ಸಾಹಸ ಮೆಚ್ಚಿ ಕಿತ್ತೂರ ಸಂಸ್ಥಾನದ ವೀರಪ್ಪ ದೇಸಾಯಿ ಅವರು "ಸಾವಿರ ಒಂಟೆಯ ಸರದಾರ" ಎಂಬ ಬಿರುದನ್ನು ಮತ್ತು ರಕ್ತಮಾನ್ಯ ಭೂಮಿ ಬಹುಮಾನವಾಗಿ ಕೊಡುತ್ತಿರುವುದು.

The Knight of a thousand camels
Veerappa Desai of the Kitturu kingdom gave the title of "Savira Onteya Sardar" (The Knight of a thousand camels) and 'Raktamanya' (blood-valued) land as a reward for the valour shown by Sangolli Rayanna's grandfather Rogappa in the battle of 'Chinagi Kolwadal' in 1778 C.E to conquer the Gokak region.

ದೇಸಾಯಿ ಪರಂಪರೆ		Desai Lineage
ಹಿರೇಮಲ್ಲಶೆಟ್ಟಿ ಮತ್ತು ಚಿಕ್ಕಮಲ್ಲಶೆಟ್ಟಿ (ಸ್ಥಾಪಕರು)	1585-1591 CE	Hiremallashetti & Chikkamallashetti (Founders)
ಹಿರೇನಾಗನಗೌಡ ದೇಸಾಯಿ	1591-1634 CE	Hirenaganagouda Desai
ಬಾಲನಾಗನಗೌಡ ದೇಸಾಯಿ	1634-1656 CE	Naganagouda Desai
ಚನ್ನಪ್ಪ ದೇಸಾಯಿ	1656-1660 CE	Channappa Desal
ಅಲ್ಲಪ್ಪಗೌಡ ದೇಸಾಯಿ	1660-1691 CE	Allappagouda Desai
ಮುದಿಮಲ್ಲಪ್ಪ ದೇಸಾಯಿ	1691-1696 CE	Mudimallappa Desai
ಚಿಕ್ಕಮಲ್ಲಪ್ಪ ದೇಸಾಯಿ	1696-1717 CE	Chikkamallappa Desai
ಶಿವನಗೌಡ ದೇಸಾಯಿ	1717-1734 CE	Shivangouda Desai
ಮಾಳವ ರುದ್ರಗೌಡ	1734-1749 CE	Malav Rudragouda
ವೀರಪ್ಪಗೌಡ ದೇಸಾಯಿ	1749-1782 CE	Veerappagouda Desai

ರೋಗಣ್ಣವರ ಮನೆ
ಕಿತ್ತೂರು ಸಂಸ್ಥಾನದಲ್ಲಿ ವೀರತನಕ್ಕೆ ಹೆಸರಾದ ಸಂಗೊಳ್ಳಿಯ ರೋಗಣ್ಣವರ ಮನೆ ಜನಸೇವೆಯ ಕೇಂದ್ರವಾಗಿತ್ತು. ರೋಗಪ್ಪ ನಾಟಿ ವೈದ್ಯನಾಗಿ, ಶೇತಸನದಿಯಾಗಿ, ಕೃಷಿಕನಾಗಿ ಕಾರ್ಯ ನಿರ್ವಹಿಸುತ್ತಿರುವುದು.

Roganna's House
The house of Sangolli Roganna, known for his valor in the Kitturu kingdom, was the centre of public service. Roganna was a traditional healer, a soldier ('Shethsanadi') and a farmer.

ರಾಯು ಎಂದು ನಾಮಕರಣ
ಭರಮಪ್ಪ ಮತ್ತು ಕೆಂಚಮ್ಮ ದಂಪತಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಜನಿಸಿದ ಗಂಡುಮಗುವಿಗೆ "ರಾಯಣ್ಣ" ಎಂದು ನಾಮಕರಣ ಮಾಡಿ ತೊಟ್ಟಿಲಿಗೆ ಹಾಕುತ್ತಿರುವ ದೃಶ್ಯ.

Naming ceremony for Rayanna
In this scene, the baby boy born to Bharamappa and Kenchamma is being named Rayanna in a cradle ceremony.

ಬಾಲಕ ರಾಯಣ್ಣನ ಆಟ-ಪಾಠ
ಗೆಳೆಯರೊಂದಿಗೆ ಮಲಪ್ರಭಾ ನದಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಈಜು, ಗರಡಿಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕುಸ್ತಿ, ಗುಂಡು ಎತ್ತುವುದು, ಕತ್ತಿವರಸೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ತೊಡಗಿರುವ ಬಾಲಕ ರಾಯಣ್ಣನ ಚಟುವಟಿಕೆಗಳು.

Boy Rayanna playing with friends
Showcased here are the activities of the boy Rayanna, who lifts weights, wrestles at the traditional Indian gym (Garadi mane), swims in the Malaprabha river, and practices sword fighting with his friends.

ಹುಲಿಯೊಂದಿಗೆ ಹೋರಾಡುತ್ತಿರುವ ಭರಮಪ್ಪ
ಕಿತ್ತೂರು ದೊರೆ ಮಲ್ಲಸರ್ಜ ದೇಸಾಯಿ ಅವರ ಆಳ್ವಿಕೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕಿತ್ತೂರ ನಾಡಿಗೆ ಕಂಟಕಪ್ರಾಯವಾಗಿದ್ದ ಹುಲಿಯೊಂದಿಗೆ ಹೋರಾಡುತ್ತಿರುವ ಸಂಗೊಳ್ಳಿ ರಾಯಣ್ಣನ ತಂದೆ ಭರಮಪ್ಪ.

Bharamappa's Combat with A Tiger
Shown here is Sangolli Rayanna's father Bharamappa, engaged in combat with a tige that posed a threat to the region during th reign of King Mallasarja Desai of Kitturu.

ಭರಮಪ್ಪನಿಗೆ ದೊರೆಯಿಂದ ಗೌರವ
ಹುಲಿಯೊಂದಿಗೆ ಕಾದಾಡಿ ಅದನ್ನು ಹೊಡೆದು ಹೊತ್ತು ತಂದ ಭರಮಪ್ಪನ ಸಾಹಸ ಮೆಚ್ಚಿದ ದೊರೆ ಮಲ್ಲಸರ್ಜ ರಕ್ತಮಾನ್ಯ ಭೂಮಿಯನ್ನು ಬಹುಮಾನವಾಗಿ ಕೊಡುವುದಾಗಿ ಘೋಷಿಸುತ್ತಿರುವ ದೃಶ್ಯ.

Bharamappa is honoured by the King
This scene shows the king Mallasarja rewarding Bharamappa with land (blood-valued, or 'Rakta Manya' land) after being impressed by his feat of fighting, killing and bringing the body of a tiger.

ಸಂಗೊಳ್ಳಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಭರಮ ಮೆರವಣಿಗೆ
ಮಲ್ಲಸರ್ಜ ದೊರೆಯಿಂದ ಸುಮಾನ ಪಡೆದು ಬರುತ್ತಿರುವ ಭರಮಪ್ಪನ ಸಂಗೊಳ್ಳಿ ಜನರು ಅದ್ದೂರಿಯಿಂದ ಸ್ವಾಗತಿಸಿ ಮುತ್ತಿರುವುದು.
Brmappa's parade at Sangolli
Here see the people of Sangolli celebrating and welcoming Bharamappa on arrival after receiving a reward from King Malasarja.

ಪೈಲ್ವಾನ್ ರಾಯಣ್ಣನಿಗೆ ಖಡ್ಗ ನೀಡಿ ಗೌರವ
ಕುಸ್ತಿ ಸ್ಪರ್ಧೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ರಾಯಣ್ಣ ಗೆದ್ದಿರುವ ವಿಷಯ ತಿಳಿದು. ಸಂಗೊಳ್ಳಿ ವಾಡೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ನೆಲೆಸಿದ್ದ ಮಲ್ಲಸರ್ಜ ದೊರೆಯ ಪಟ್ಟದ ರಾಣಿ ಚೆನ್ನಮ್ಮ, ರಾಯಣ್ಣನನ್ನು ಕರೆದು, ಅವನ ಕೈಗೆ ಖಡ್ಗ ನೀಡಿ ಗೌರವಿಸುತ್ತಿರುವುದು.

Wrestler (Pailwan) Rayanna is being honoured with a sword.
Knowing about Rayanna's victory in the wrestling competition, Rani Channamma, the queen of King Mallasarja, who resided in a mansion ('wade') at Sangolli, is seen honouring Rayanna by presenting him a sword.

ಆಂಗ್ಲರ ದತ್ತಕ ವಿರೋಧಿ ನೀತಿಗೆ ರಾಣಿ ಚನ್ನಮ್ಮಾಜಿಯ ವಿರೋಗ
ಕಿತ್ತೂರ ದೇಸಾಯಿ ಶಿವಲಿಂಗರುದ್ರ ಸರ್ಜರ ಅನಾರೋಗ್ಯದಿಂದಾಗಿ ಮಾಸ್ತಮರಡಿಯ ಬಾಳಗೌಡರ ಮಗ ಶಿವಲಿಂಗಪ್ಪನಿಗೆ "ಮಲ್ಲಸರ್ಜ” ಎಂದು ನಾಮಕರಣ ಮಾಡಿ ದತ್ತಕ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಂಡರು. ಧಾರವಾಡ ಜಿಲ್ಲಾಧಿಕಾರಿ ಥ್ಯಾಕರೆ ಈ ದತ್ತಕವನ್ನು ಮಾನ್ಯ ಮಾಡಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಆಗ ಕಿತ್ತೂರ ರಾಣಿ ಚನ್ನಮ್ಮ, ಸರದಾರ ಗುರುಸಿದ್ದಪ್ಪ ನವರು ಆಂಗ್ಲರ ದತ್ತಕ ನೀತಿಯನ್ನು ವಿರೋಧಿಸಿದರು. ಆಗಿನ ಸಂಗೊಳ್ಳಿ ರಾಯಣ್ಣನ ಪ್ರತಿಕ್ರಿಯೆ.

Rani Channamma's opposition to the 'Doctrine of Lapse' policy of the British
Due to his illness, Kitturu Desai Shivalingarudra Sarja adopted Sivalingappa, the son of Balagowda of Mastamaradi, and named him Mallasarja. Sir John Thackeray, the Collector of Dharwad, did not validate this adoption. The Kitturu queen Channamma and Sardar Gurusiddappa opposed the Doctrine of Lapse' policy of the British. We see here Sangolli Rayanna's furious expression vis-a-vis the policy.

Here's a model bullock cart meant for royal ladies' travel.

ರಾಣಿಯರನು ಕರೆದು ಕೊಂಡು ಹೋಗುವ ಜಟಕಾ ಬಂಡಿಇರುತ್ತದೆ. ಆಗಿನಕಾಲದ ಮಾಡಲ್ ಇರುತ್ತದೆ.

ಮೊದಲ ಆಂಗ್ಲೋ-ಕಿತ್ತೂರ ಯುದ್ಧ
ಕಿತ್ತೂರು ಸಂಸ್ಥಾನದಲ್ಲಿ ಜರುಗಿದ ದತ್ತಕ ಪ್ರಕರಣ ಕಾನೂನು ಬಾಹೀರ ಎಂದು ಜಿಲ್ಲಾಧಿಕಾರಿ ಥ್ಯಾಕರೆ 1824 ಅಕ್ಟೋಬರ್ 23 ರಂದು ಮುಂಜಾನೆ ಕಿತ್ತೂರ ಖಜಾನೆಗೆ ಬೀಗ ಹಾಕಿಸಿ ಸೈನ್ಯದ ಕಾವಲು ಇಟ್ಟನು. ಈ ಘಟನೆಯಿಂದ ಕೆರಳಿದ ಕಿತ್ತೂರು ಜನ ಕೋಟೆಯ ಬಾಗಿಲು ಹಾಕಿದರು.
ಫ್ಯಾಕರೆ ಕೋಟೆಯ ಬಾಗಿಲು ತೆಗೆಯಲು 24 ನಿಮಿಷಗಳ ಗಡವು ನೀಡಿದನು. ಕೋಟೆಯ ಬಾಗಿಲು ತೆಗೆಯುತ್ತಿದ್ದಂತೆಯೆ ಯುದ್ಧ ಪ್ರಾರಂಭವಾಯಿತು. ಈ ಯುದ್ಧದಲ್ಲಿ ಅಮಟೂರು ಬಾಳಪ್ಪ ಎಂಬ ವೀರನಿಂದ ಥ್ಯಾಕರೆಯ ಕೊಲೆ ಆಯಿತು. ಕ್ಯಾಪ್ಟನ್ ಬ್ಲಾಕ್, ಲೆಫ್ಟಿನಂಟ್ ಡಯಟ್ ಮತ್ತು ಸಿವೆಲ್ ಎಂಬ ಅಧಿಕಾರಿ ಹಾಗೂ 80 ಜನ ಆಂಗ್ಲ ಸೈನಿಕರು ಅಸುನೀಗಿದರು. ಕಿತ್ತೂರಿನ ಮುಖಂಡರಾದ ಮಲ್ಲಪ್ಪ ಕುನ್ನೂರ, ವೀರಪ್ಪ ಕುನ್ನೂರ ಮತ್ತು ಸರದಾರ ಮಲ್ಲಪ್ಪ ಕೊಲ್ಲಲ್ಪಟ್ಟರು.

First Anglo-Kittur War
On October 23, 1824, early in the morning, District Collector Thackeray locked up the Kitturu Treasury and stationed an army guard there as he considered that the adoption case in Kitturu State as unlawful. The people of Kitturu shut the fort's door as an outrage against his
order. Thackeray set a 24-minute ultimatum for the fort's door to open. The combat started as soon
as the fort's gates were opened.
Amaturu Balappa, a lieutenant of Channamma, killed Thackeray in this combat. In total, eighty English men were killed, along with Captain Block, Lieutenant Diet, and an officer by the name of Sewell. The chiefs of Kitturu Mallappa Kunnura, Veerappa Kunnura, and Sardar Mallappa died in action.

ಕಿತ್ತೂರು ವಿಜಯೋತ್ಸವ
"ಸೂರ್ಯ ಮುಳಗದ ಸಾಮ್ರಾಜ್ಯ" ಎಂದು ಹೆಸರಾಗಿದ್ದ ಬ್ರಿಟಿಷ್ ಸಾಮ್ರಾಜ್ಯವು ಕನ್ನಡ ನೆಲದಲ್ಲಿ, ರಾಣಿ ಚನ್ನಮ್ಮಳ ನೇತೃತ್ವದಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆದ ಯುದ್ಧದಲ್ಲಿ ಸೋತು ಶರಣಾಗತವಾಯಿತು. ಈ ಐತಿಹಾಸಿಕ ಗೆಲುವನ್ನು ಕಿತ್ತೂರು ಪ್ರಜೆಗಳು ಸಂಭ್ರಮದಿಂದ ಆಚರಿಸುತ್ತಿರುವುದು. ಮೆರವಣಿಗೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ರಾಣಿ ಚನ್ನಮ್ಮ, ಸರದಾರರು, ಸಂಗೊಳ್ಳಿ ರಾಯಣ್ಣ ಇದ್ದಾರೆ.

Triumphant Kitturu
The British Empire, which was known as the 'Empire of where the sun never sets', surrendered after losing a war in Kannada land under the leadership of Rani Channamma. Kitturu citizens are shown rejoicing over this momentous win. Sangolli Rayanna, Sardars, and Rani Channamma are seen in the procession.

ಎರಡನೇಯ ಆಂಗ್ಲೋ-ಕಿತ್ತೂರು ಯುದ್ಧ
ಧಾರವಾಡ ಜಿಲ್ಲಾಧಿಕಾರಿ ಥ್ಯಾಕರೆಯ ಕೊಲೆಯಿಂದ ಕಂಗಾಲಾದ ಡೆಕ್ಕನ್ ಪ್ರಾಂತದ ಕಮೀಷನರ್ ಚಾಪ್ಲಿನ್ ಕಿತ್ತೂರು ವಶಪಡಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಹೊಂಚು ಹಾಕಿದನು. ಪುಣೆ, ಬೆಳಗಾವಿ, ಬಳ್ಳಾರಿ, ಸೊಲ್ಲಾಪುರ, ಮೈಸೂರು ಮತ್ತು ವೆಂಗುರ್ಲಾ ಭಾಗಗಳಿಂದ ಸೈನ್ಯ ಕರೆಯಿಸಿಕೊಂಡನು. ಕಿತ್ತೂರು ಸಂಸ್ಥಾನದ ಕಡೆಯಿಂದ ಸಂಧಾನದ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನ ನಡೆದಿತ್ತು. ಬಂಧನದಲ್ಲಿದ್ದ ಅಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳ, ಸೈನ್ಯದ ಬಿಡುಗಡೆ ಇಲ್ಲದೆ ಮಾತುಕತೆ ಸಾಧ್ಯವಿಲ್ಲ ಎಂದು ಚಾಪ್ಲಿನ್ ಕರಾರು ಹಾಕಿದನು. ಅವನ ಮಾತು ನಂಬಿ ರಾಣಿ ಚನ್ನಮ್ಮ ಬಂಧಿತರ ಬಿಡುಗಡೆ ಮಾಡಿದರು.
ಆಂಗ್ಲೋ-ಕಿತ್ತೂರ ಸಂಧಾನ ಫಲಪ್ರದವಾಗಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಮಾತಿಗೆ ತಪ್ಪಿದ ಚಾಪ್ಲಿನ್ 1824 ಡಿಸೆಂಬರ್ 3 ರಂದು ಯುದ್ಧ ಸಾರಿದನು. ಸಿದ್ಧತೆ ಇಲ್ಲದ್ದರಿಂದ ಕಿತ್ತೂರು ಸೋಲಬೇಕಾಯಿತು.

Second Anglo-Kitturu War
The Commissioner of the Deccan Province, Chaplin, plotted to seize Kitturu after the death of Thackeray, the late District Collector of Dharwad. Chaplin summoned troops from Pune, Belgavi, Ballari, Solapur, Mysoru, and Vengurla. The Kitturu state made an attempt for negotiations. Chaplin promised that peace talks would be possible only if Rani Channamma released the detained officers and troops. Trusting his words, Rani Channamma released the captives.
The Anglo-Kitturu negotiations were fruitless. Chaplin broke his word and declared war on December 3, 1824. Kitturu naturally lost due to a lack of preparedness.

ರಾಣಿ ಚನ್ನಮ್ಮ ಬಂಧನ
ದ್ವಿತೀಯ ಆಂಗ್ಲೋ-ಕಿತ್ತೂರ ಯುದ್ಧದಲ್ಲಿ ಕಿತ್ತೂರು ಸಂಸ್ಥಾನದ ಪತನದ ಮುನ್ಸೂಚನೆ ಅರಿತ ಸೇನಾಪತಿ ಗುರುಸಿದ್ದಪ್ಪ, ರಾಣಿ ಚನ್ನಮ್ಮ, ವೀರಮ್ಮಾ ಮತ್ತು ಜಾನಕಿ ಅವರನ್ನು ಗುಪ್ತ ಮಾರ್ಗದ ಮೂಲಕ ಕರೆದುಕೊಂಡು ಹೋಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದನು. ವಿಷಯ ತಿಳಿದ ಕಮೀಷನರ್ ಚಾಪ್ಲಿನ್ ಅವರನ್ನು ಬಂಧಿಸುತ್ತಿರುವುದು.

Rani Channamma's Arrest
During the Second Anglo-Kitturu War, General Gurusiddappa predicting the fall of the Kitturu kingdom was leading Rani Channamma, Veeramma, and Janaki along a secret path when they were arrested by Commissioner Chaplin, who had learned about the escape.

ಭರಮಪ್ಪನ ಬಲಿದಾನ
ಡೆಕ್ಕನ್ ಕಮೀಷನರ್ ಚಾಪ್ಲಿನ್ ಕಿತ್ತೂರು ಸಂಸ್ಥಾನ ವಶಪಡಿಸಿಕೊಂಡ ನಂತರ ಕಿತ್ತೂರ ನಂದಿ ಧ್ವಜ ಇಳಿಸಿ, ತಮ್ಮ ಯುನಿಯನ್ ಜಾಕ್ ಬಾವುಟ ಹಾರಿಸಲು ಸೂಚಿಸಿದನು. ನಂದಿ ಧ್ವಜ ಸಂರಕ್ಷಣೆಗೆ ನಿಂತಿದ್ದ ರಾಯಣ್ಣನ ತಂದೆ ಭರಮಪ್ಪ ವಿರೋಧಿಸಿದನು. ಆಗ ಆತನ ಎದೆಗೆ ಗುಂಡು ಹಾರಿಸಿ ನಂದಿ ಧ್ವಜವನ್ನು ಭರಮಪ್ಪನ ಮೇಲೆ ಎಸೆದರು. ಸುದ್ದಿ ತಿಳಿದ ಸಂಗೊಳ್ಳಿ ರಾಯಣ್ಣ ಓಡಿ ಬರುವನು. ಬ್ರಿಟೀಷರು ರಾಯಣ್ಣನನ್ನು ಬಂಧಿಸುವರು.

Bharamappa, the martyr
After besieging Kitturu, the Deccan Commissioner Chaplin ordered lowering of the Nandi flag (the flag of Kitturu) and to fly the Union Jack flag there. This was resisted by Rayanna's father, Bharamappa, who was in charge of protecting the Nandi flag. As a result, he was shot in the chest and the Nandi flag was thrown at him. Hearing the news Rayanna rushed over. Rayanna was taken into custody by the British.

I limit each post to 20 pictures, hence ending this post but this tour will continue in following post- Sangolli Rayanna Rock Garden part-2.

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Dolmen sites in Karnataka

The word dolmen was familiar to me since my early childhood days. Memories of seeing a dolmen in "Asterix and the Golden Sickle" are fresh to this day. Asterix and Obelix are in search of a dolmen in a forest, it starts raining, they take shelter a dolmen unaware that's the very dolmen they wanted to find. Back then I would imagine how it would be see a real one and I thought dolmens were made for shelter. Decades later, I stumbled upon real dolmens and the possible reasons behind their creation. The first dolmen I saw was the one near Bachangudda hill near the World Heritage Site Pattadakal. Around that time I came across sources which evoked deeper interest in prehistoric sites which led to more research & explorations. The sources include historical books, online portals and people. One person I have mention here is Ramadasa of Sanganakallu village near Bellary. Ramadasa's interest & knowledge of prehistory is at another level, it combines archaeology and astronomy. Then there were accidental discoveries while exploring forts. At this point, I have mention that there's a strong connection between prehistoric sites and forts, only some forts  based on topography. Here's are brief writeups on each of the dolmen sites I happened to visit, followed by the sites I've heard and have intentions of visiting them.

Dolmen of Bachangudda: My first visit to this site was Dec 2011 during a solo tour of Badami, Pattadakal & Aihole. The dolmen is situated about 2 km from Pattadakal on Badami-Pattadakal road. It's situated right besides the road and surrounded by farm lands on three sides. I've stopped here at least half a dozen times since 2011 when it was unfenced. 

A few years ago the site was fenced and a writeup was posted. Below is the transcription of the writeup:

This megalith-a dolmen-is a burial or memorial burial belonging to 1st Millennium BCE to 3rd Century CE. It is a rectangular chamber formed by four large and thick orthostats on the sides. Bearing a larger capstone at the top. The side orthostats. At both the ends project laterally across the edges of the orthostats on the front and rear. The south-east facing front orthostat has a rectangular opening larger than a normal port-hole. On the front side. In continuation of the western orthostat. Is seen only the broken edge of another orthostat. There are three other huge fallen slabs in front of the chamber. These originally formed probably another north-south oriented compartment of the extant chamber. The present front slab with the rectangular opening is likely a segmental orthostat dividing the chamber into two compartments. Traces of cairn packing of stone rubbles and earth enclosing the chamber are visible on the northern side but this is a vague indication that the chamber was originally surrounded by a stone circle.

Of all the sites, this dolmen seems to be the most advanced in terms of design and finish. Also personally I feel this structure is an early form of Hindu temple.

During second or third visit here, local people told us about ancient stone structures about 230 meters towards Bachingudda village. There are three megalithic burial chambers, all have been vandalized badly. This is one of the three and that's Malatesh my travel partner for a few years. Compared to the previous dolmen these three are quite primitive, and similar to the ones at Aihole and Guledgudda.

Dolmens of Aihole: I discovered Aihole dolmens during my fourth or fifth visit i.e. in September 2012. This is one of the largest sites with close to eighty dolmens, many of them in ruins. The site is a sloping plateau overlooking the valley where river Malaprabha flows. Ever since this discovery I've come here again four times. I wanted people to see this site. On the same hill are natural rock shelters where you can see ancient paintings, mostly hyena fur pattern. This place gives a tiny glimpse into ancient practices. Here are a few sample burial chambers. The general design is four slabs placed vertically forming a square, the fifth slab is placed horizontally on top of the standing four. However, here most of them are vandalized, one or more slabs are removed or missing.

The first picture here, this burial chamber is the most stylish, it has an attitude. This one is about 3' high. Inside remains of red soil is seen. Originally the inner space was packed with red soil and a corpse, maybe more than one. The idea behind this elaborate arrangement is to protect the mortal remains from scavenging beats like hyenas which seemed to thrive here in those times. Maybe this kind of burial was reserved for tribe leaders and their families.

The second one here is shorter to the one above. This is not more than 2' high. This too is vandalized but the red soil inside is almost intact. Going by its height, this one might've contained one corpse. I'm wondering if archaeologists have run tests on this red soil. Surprisingly this site is unprotected. There's no declaration usually found at archaeological sites.

The third one is the largest dolmen of Aihole site. It's almost 4½' high. Going by its volume this could contain four or five bodies. In the background is Meguti Gudi which marks the end of this plateau.

Dolmens of Hire Benakal: Now we are talking about the largest megalithic site of Karnataka state, hoping I'm not wrong in saying this. I'd visited this site in July 2012. Situated on a range of hillocks near Koppal, the site is spread over a large area which could be marked off as three clusters. We reached the site with just an hour left for sunset, so we spent most of the time at the main part of the site, just walked through another cluster and missed one cluster completely. Local people call them Moreyara Mane which roughly translates to dwarves houses. I feel that's not case, they are meant to be burial chambers.

The below pictures are part of the first cluster which consisted of smaller burial chambers with and without port-holes. Some of the burial chambers were smaller. As you see most of them had been vandalized. I just hope the destruction of these invaluable artifacts has stopped hence.

Moving on to the main cluster. The sight of these huge structures left us wondering, surprised and admiration for those ancient builders' talents. These dolmens are assembly of granite slabs of uniform thickness. The construction is similar to dolmens of other sites except for minor differences. Here we have four trapezoidal slabs placed vertically which form the walls, and a circular slab forming the cover. The smallest dolmen was maybe 5' high and the tallest almost 10'. The extent of damage is evident - broken pieces of slabs strewn between the dolmens. As per archaeologists there were around 300 dolmens in this particular cluster however the numbers were much lesser during our visit.

 Coming to the purpose of these huge structures, I'm little confused. Unlike the smaller dolmens there's no loose soil under the larger dolmens. No packed soil inside any of the dolmens. So wondering how the burials were done.

Before moving on to the next site, I would like to add that there are a number of rock paintings close to these dolmens. Also, there one sculpted stone known as the kettle drum which is about a meter in diameter. Apparently the stone drum emits a boom when struck with wooden club. I'm keeping my fingers crossed wishing the kettle drum- which is one of it's kind in Karnataka -is safe and untouched.

Dolmens of Rajan Kollur: I learned about this site in Philip Meadows Taylor's "Megalithic tombs and other ancient remains in the Deccan." Taylor had called Rajan Kollur a major megalithic site of Karnataka. Indeed it is. Based on my knowledge, Rajan Kollur is third largest, Aihole site is second largest and Hire Benakal is the largest. There's another site near Konnur town in Belagavi district. Size of the site is one matter but dolmen size is another. The larger dolmens here beat the largest dolmen of Aihole. Yes, some of the dolmen are massive, the slabs are seriously bulky.

While most other places dolmen are called Moreyara Manae, people of Rajan Kollur call them Buddara Manae. I'd visited this site in November 2013, it was well protected and an infographic posted near the entrance gave out detailed archaeological findings of this site. I hope the site is well maintained. Besides the main enclosure, there are a few more dolmens in an open ground 200 meters to east.

Remains of Brahmagiri dolmens: This prehistoric burial site is situated at the base of Brahmagiri hill at Ashoka Siddapura village in Chitradurga district, about 2.3 km from the village bus-stop. I'd visited this site in December 2013. I was expecting to see dolmens similar to Hire Benkal. I was shattered seeing the broken remains of granite slabs sticking out from the ground. Apparently local people 'harvested' the slabs for construction work. A local man told us there were hundreds of them scattered in fields, people just removed them to clear their fields. The slabs were either sold off or used as construction material. This is a lost site.

The sites where dolmens are made of granite are Hire Benakal, Kumathi and Brahmagiri. Maybe sites in southern Karnataka too. At sites in the northern parts like Aihole, Rajan Kollur, and others dolmens are made of sandstone blocks or other darker harder stone types.

Dolmen of Hanamasagar hill: This little dolmen was an accidental discovery while exploring the ruins of the fort on Hanamasagar hill in November 2012. Within the fort is a temple dedicated to Venkateshwara popularly known as Abhinava Thirupathi. After seeing the inner space of the small fort, I was going around the walls checking out for ruins on the slopes and I bumped into this little structure, barely 2'x2'x2'. A  few meters away there was a damaged dolmen of similar size. As I remember only two dolmen were seen here. I'd read that a stone circle existed in the plains near the hill but I couldn't find it. Made of rough cut blocks, this dolmen could be from the same period as dolmens of Aihole, Konnur and Rajan Kollur.

Dolmens of Konnur: I read about this site on ASI Dharwad website but failed to find the site's location  online. A few years later I happened to travel towards Konnur and located it with the help of local person's help. A couple of kilometers away from Konnur, the site is hidden among farm lands. As per the two local guys who showed us around, dolmens here are known as Munivasada Guhegalu. First Moryara Manae, then Buddara Manae and now Munivasada Guhegalu.

A group of cist graves are in an enclosure along with five tombs of Jaina ascetics. The group consists of 2' high dolmen to larger ones spacious enough for an adult human. It is possible that Jaina ascetics used these dolmen to meditate hence they are called as Munivasada Guhegalu, meaning ascetic's cave.

The cist graves have been built using rough-cut sandstone blocks. Their build and looks are similar to the ones at Aihole, Hanamasagar and Rajan Kollur. It's possible all are from the same period. Some of the dolmen have been altered to increase inner space. For example; the one below. This one is perfect for a meditating monk.

While the fenced enclosure has a dozen or so structures, there are another dozen larger dolmens outside the enclosure. One unique feature seen in Konnur dolmens is the pair of horizontally buries slabs in front of the opening. Small or big, many of them have it.. let's call it a crude form of balustrade. One common feature of dolmens of Aihole, Konnur, Rajan Konnur, Hanamasagar- all are south facing.

After the tour of this site our guides said that many more dolmens in the hillocks not very far from here. Since we were out of time, I told our guides that would for another day. I'm yet to follow up on that.

Remains of Kutkankeri cist graves: Kutkankeri hill is situated 8 km to the north of Badami. I read about rock paintings at this prehistoric site on The Megalithic Portal. On these hills are fairly well preserved rock painting of Indian hyena fur pattern, an outline of a hand, an alien creature similar to human form and few other things. I'd visited Kutkankeri in September 2012. Though I was not expecting to see dolmens here it wasn't a surprise to see about eight dolmens but completely vandalized. These dolmens were made of sandstone blocks, the type of stone which is available easily here. I think there were stone circles as well around the dolmens.

Among all the ruins, below is the least damaged one. It was sad to see these invaluable monuments torn apart for petty gains.

Prehistoric graves of Guledgudda: Guledgudda is about 23 km northeast of Badami. The name Guledgudda roughly means nomad's hill. The objective of my visit was to see the fort ruins atop the hill. The hill is barren and has plenty of rock outcrops. We did find ruins of a fort and also ruined houses built of stone blocks. As we explored we found several dolmen and stone circles. Most of the artifacts were vandalized except for one stone circle which seemed perfectly preserved.

Here's the well preserved stone circle. In the background, there's stone arc, maybe it was a circle before a few stones went missing.

This looks remains of a cist grave.

I wish I had paid more attention to prehistoric graves. Perhaps I must visit this site again.

Dolmen in the jungles of Bandipur: This was another accidental discovery. I was traveling by cab to Ooty with a colleague. It's my habit to look out and study places. Somewhere in the jungles of Bandipur I spotted this dolmen. Since stopping was prohibited, I requested the driver to slow down for a couple of pictures. The dolmen was a hundred feet away from the road, used telephoto lens to shoot this picture. The dolmen is made of granite slabs. Like I said earlier, dolmens in southern Karnataka are made of granite slabs. I wonder if any more dolmens have survived here.

Ruins of a dolmen at Kumathi: I learned about Kumathi from my friend Ramadasa of Sanganakallu village. He had read a newspaper article about a dolmen at Kumathi. However, it so happened that Ramadasa was talking about two prehistoric anthropomorphic statues, and we at Kumathi located the remains of a dolmen. Here's our first discovery- a ruined dolmen made of granite slabs, with one of the slabs having a porthole. Had this been intact, this would've been similar to the dolmens of Hire Benakal.

The second discovery of that day was anthropomorphic statues, each 10' from the ground level. These two ancient creations are simply wonderful. Our day was made. Prehistoric people, like Mother Nature, keep springing surprises. Just to get an idea of their creations, do take a look at the 

Dolmen like structure of Wakkandurga: If I remember correctly, I located Wakkandurga fort on Wikimapia.org. I had noted location details of some six forts in this region and targeted to visit them all by the end of the day. Wakkandurga was the second fort of that morning. I was expecting to see a fort but the fort sprang a surprise- a dolmen like arrangement of stones.

A huge boulder of irregular shape is balanced on smaller boulders creating a shelter beneath. The capstone seems natural enough but the way its balanced on smaller boulders seems manmade unless. Not saying that it's not possible naturally because Nature is capable of anything.

Those were the sites I've been to. Following is the list of sites I'm yet to see:

1. Arasinaguppe, Chikkamagaluru District
2. Chikkajala, Bangalore Urban District
3. Doddamalthe, Somvarpet Taluk, Kodagu District
4. Gamangatti?
5. Hejjala, Ramanagara District
6. Hujagal, Magadi Taluk, Ramanagara District
7. Hunkunda, Kolar District
8. Kallur Naganahalli, Mysore District
9. Kittur, Mysore District
10. Managondanahalli, Bangalore Rural District
11. Palli, Karkala Taluk, Udupi District
12. Savandurga, Ramanagara District
13. Sulimolathe, Somvarpet Taluk, Kodagu District
14. Thalavadi Betta (fort), Ramanagara District.
15. Timmappana Betta, Ramanagara District
16. Valpady, Dakshina Kannada District

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