Mention Srirangapatna and the
first name that comes to our mind is that of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. Similarly, mention Srirangapatna fort and the first thing that
comes to the mind is the heroic death of Tipu on May 4, 1799 just a few yards
away from the massive fortifications.
The Fort, perhaps, is the
second most important monument of Srirangapatna which lends a unique character to the
bustling town (The first important monument should be the sprawling Ranganatha Temple
But what many have forgotten
is that the fort was initially built by a local chieftain whose name is now
almost forgotten, so much so that the fort is more associated with Hyder-Tipu
and the Wodeyars than this palegar.
There is no plaque, name
board or even a sign board detailing the contribution of this Palegar. What is
more astonishing is that it was this palegar who laid the foundations of the
massive Srirangapatna fort more than seven centuries ago.
Moreover, it was also this
palegar who contributed lavishly to the temples in Srirangapatna, Tonnur or
Kere Tonnur and of course Melukote.
This palegar was the first
chieftain to fortify Srirangapatna and also rule from the area but as a vassal
of the might Vijayanagars. A devout Srivaishnava, he ruled justly and he was
one of the top army commanders of the Vijayanagar forces.
This palegar is none other
than Thimanna Hebbar, the chief of Nagamangala, who was also known as Thimmanna
Dannayaka.
He rose to prominence because
of his military and administrative prowess and in 1454 A.D., he took the
permission of the Vijayanagar Emperor to build a mud fort in Srirangapatna.
However, even before Thimanna
Hebbar fortified Srirangapatna, it was a thriving and important town. During
the Hoysala rule(943-1340), Srirangapatna was one of the most important
agrahara centres.
Once Veera Ballala
(1291-1343) died, the Hoysala empire disappeared and Srirangapatna became a
provincial capital of the Vijayanagars. Sometime in 1450 or a little earlier,
Thimanna Hebbar took up the post of a palegar of Srirangapatna and he was a
vassal of the Vijayanagars.
In 1454, Thimanna Hebbar laid
the foundations of the mud fort and also dug a trench around it. He also repaired,
renovated and donated liberally to the Ranganatha temple in Srirangapatna, the
Nambi Narayana temple in Tonnur and the two main temple of Melkote-Cheluva
Narayanaswamy
These temples had been
ravaged by Mailk Kafur during his south India
Thimanna Hebbar was a
commander of the Vijayanagar forces under Emperor Mallikarjuna Raya (1446-1465)
who continued him in the post of a palegar of Srirangapatna.
The descendents of Thimanna
Hebbar were confirmed in the post of palegar
of Srirangapatna till 1495 when the Vijayanagar Emperor Narasimha Raya (1491-1505) decided to appoint
relatives of the royal family as Viceroys of Srirangapatna.
The royal family of Vijayanagar continued to hold Srirangapatna as
Viceroys till 1610 when Raja Wodeyar defeated Tirumalaraya in the battle of
Kesare and made Srirangapatna his capital.
Raja Wodeyar realised the
strategic importance of the Jaladurga or island fortress formed naturally by
the north and south branches of the Cauvery and renovated the fort.
Later, Kanteerava Narasaraja
Wodeyar in 1654 and Chikkadevaraya Wodeyar strengthened the fortress and Hyder
and Tipu too contributed immensely.
When the British stormed the
fort on May 4, 1799, they admired the massive structure and refrained from
pulling it down.
The fort is on the western
end of the island and it is in the form of an irregular pentagon with a perimeter
of about 4 kilometres.
The fort is a major tourist
attraction as are the many additions to it made by Tipu. Of the brave and just
palegar, there is no mention and it seems time has swallowed his name.
