Linga Raja I was the Raja of Kodagu and a subordinate ally of Nawab Haider Ali of Mysore. In 1780, the raja passed away. The raja's first son Dodda Vira Rajendra was only 16 years old at that time. This was a convenient moment for the nawab to bring Kodagu under his complete control. So, he removed the raja’s family members from the Madikeri fort in Kodagu and moved them to the Gorur fort in Hassan. In this manner the Raja's family lost possession of their Madikeri residence.
Displeased with the displacement of the raja, Kodagu rose in rebellion against Haider.
Elsewhere, the second Anglo Mysore war was raging at that time. In 1782 Haider died of cancer and his son Tipu Sultan succeeded him. Linga Raja’s family was shifted and imprisoned at Periyapatna fort in Mysore.
In December 1788, Dodda Vira Rajendra, his wife, daughter, brothers Linga Raja II and Appaji Raja and other family members managed to escape from their confinement. According to scholar H Moegling (in 1855) ‘some faithful Coorg friends assisted him (the raja) and conducted him safely’. Historians I M Muthanna and D N Krishnaiah identified these friends as Kulletira Ponnanna, Pattacheruvanda Boluka, Appaneravanda Achaiah, Ketolira Achuvanna and others. They disguised themselves as oil-vendors and reached Periyapatna where they were able to release the royal family. Meanwhile, Linga Raja I’s wife (Vira Rajendra’s mother) had died of smallpox during the years in Periyapatna.
The people of Kodagu declared Vira Rajendra their king. But the new raja and his family had no place to stay. The fort of Madikeri was still in the possession of the Mysore Sultan. The raja first stayed at Kurchi where he made a temporary, makeshift residence. Unfortunately, one day, when the raja was away, bandits from Wayanad attacked Kurchi. They killed the rani, stole the household ornaments and burnt down the place.
The raja and his people were living in near poverty, caused due to intense warfare, at that time. During this time of exile, according to historian M G Nagaraj, the raja stayed with a branch of the Cholanda family in Kunda-Echoor, near the Barapole river for some time. This family was renamed Maneypanda, since they had provided a mane (‘house’) to the king.
D N Krishnaiah wrote that Ketolira Achuvanna recommended his own native village Yavakapadi near Kakkabe as a suitable place of residence for the raja until at least the war was over. Kakkabe was a remote location at that time, surrounded by mountains and jungles. Achuvanna accommodated the king and his family in his own ancestral house until a new palace was built.
Achuvanna scouted the place and found the farmland of the Puliyanda family to be the most secure site for a palace. This place, being hidden by natural barriers from all sides was relatively inaccessible to invaders. Four brothers of the family lived there. They were asked to vacate and were promised compensation. The eldest brother Ponnappa agreed to move with two of his brothers to his wife’s native village. His wife was from the Chokanda family in Maggula. But the youngest brother Karichcha refused to budge from the land of his forefathers.
The construction for the palace began. However, Karichcha would trouble the construction workers during the day and hide in the forest at night. The raja was displeased with this. So, he got Karichcha captured and put to death. But the ghost of Karichcha was said to continue to torment the place. Hence, the king and his family continued to stay with the Ketolira family for some time until a puja was performed at the palace.
The palace which came at that place is called Naalnaad aramane or Nalknad aramane, after the name of the region. Due to financial constraints, this palace was actually relatively simple. It was a large farmhouse built in the native Ainmane tradition. This two-story building initially had a thatched roof which was replaced later with tiles.
The descendants of Achuvanna and his two brothers became the Aramane thakka (palace chamberlains); they were the hereditary chieftains in-charge of the Naalnaad palace. Achuvanna moved to Kolakeri village near Napoklu where he settled down. His brothers remained in Yavakapadi.
Meanwhile, Kodagu became completely free of Tipu’s rule in 1792. This way the Raja also gained possession of the old residence of his father as well. Life had come a full circle for Dodda Vira Rajendra.
Dodda Vira Rajendra, who titled himself Vodeya (‘ruler’), compiled his dynasty’s official records in 1807 and called it the Rajendraname. Translated from Kannada into English by Lt. Robert Abercrombie, it was edited by Moegling (in 1857), and quoted by Richter (1870), B L Rice (1878) and Suryanath Kamath (1993) in their gazetteers.
Published in the Deccan Herald on 3rd October 2020
