The Shakti temple of Kshanambike

Nimishamba in Ganjam near Srirangapatna is well-known for its temple dedicated to Nimishamba.

The name Nimishamba has been given to the Goddess as she is believed to grant the wishes or request of a devotee within a minute. In Kannada the word Nimisha means a minute and Amma is mother. Therefore, Nimishamba means a mother who gives boon or grants a wish in a minute.

While the Nimishamba temple is very well-known and thousands visit the shrine every day, there is a temple of another similar Goddess which is not as well-known as Nimishamba.

This is the temple which houses the Kshanambike. Like Nimishamba, this temple too id dedicate to a Goddess and it is located in Srirangapatna itself.

The temple of  Goddess Kshanambika is an ancient one and this is believed to be much older and more powerful than Nimishamba.

If Nimishamba grants wishes in a minute (nimisha), the Kshanambika is said to fulfill the wishes of the devotees within a second (kshana).

In Kannada, the word mans a second and Kshanambika means the Goddess who grants boon in  second. The main source of power of the Goddess here is a bijakdhara garbhita srichakra.

T he Srichakra is a geometrical representation of the universe and this is vital component of yantra worship. The mandala within the Srichakra is believed to activate the energies both within and outside the devotee.
Geometrically, the Srichakra is formed by the intersection of nine isosceles triangles which intersect at various points. While four of the triangles are upright and represent Shiva, the five inverted triangles represent Shakti. All the nine triangles together signify the nine fundamental elements of  skin, blood, flesh, fat, bone,  semen, marrow, breath and the individual soul.

This Srichakra can still be seen in front of the idol of the Goddess Kshanambika. Incidentally, an Astamangala Prashna conducted at the temple has revealed the antiquity of the Srichakra and the Shakti that radiates from the Chakraraja.

The temple of  Kshanambika is located in Srirangapatna itself and it is easy to locate it. If there is any difficulty, locals will be able to guide you to the temple.

The temple is located within the fort and nearby is the Hanuman Temple and the Jumam Masjid.

One can visit both the Nimishamba and Kshanambike temples and both are closely associated with Shakti. If fact, you can club visit to both temples by going in your own transport or hiring an autorickshaw. 

The Ganjam figs

An earlier post had dealt with the City of Ganjam and also the jewellery making. This post is about the world famous figs of Ganjam.

Ganjam was as famous for its jewellery as it was for its figs. Though the city of Shehar Ganjam was constructed by Tipu just two kilometers away from his island capital of Srirangapatna, it developed into a distinct city in itself.

Tipu ensured that Ganjam was surrounded by lovely orchards, farms and plantations. He introduced a variety of Indian and foreign plants and trees. He planted many exotic trees and plants in the Gumbaz gardens and around Daria Daulat palace. If the Gumbaz housed the mausoleum of his father Hyder Ali, the Daria Daulat was his summer retreat.

Both the Gumbaz and Daria Daulat were surrounded by hundreds of varieties of  trees and plants. Since Ganjam city was built between these two buildings, it too received Tipu’s largesse. Tipu imported fig or anjura from several countries and had them planted in and around Ganjam.

Soon, the fog took root in Ganjam thanks to the salubrious climate and the ready supply of water from the nearby Cauvery. The garden department of Tipu supervised the fig in the royal gardens in Ganjam.

Ganjam soon became known for its figs. Farmers were encouraged to grow fig and the special and popular variety of fig grown here came to be known as Ganjam fig (Ganjam anjura).

Even Tipu is known o have enjoyed the Ganam fig. Soon, the fig was an important export from Srirangapatna and it contributed to the local economy.

When the British set up camp at Ganjam and overran the Gumbaz, they also captured Ganjam. They destroyed many trees and plants. Initially, growers and farmers fled Ganjam fearing the British. But they came back after the death of Tipu and once again began cultivating fig.

The British imported Ganja fig from Srirangapatna to Bangalore and other places. The Wodeyars too encouraged the farmers and growers to come back and take back possession of their land. Though the fort of Ganjam was destroyed in 1799, the British and the Wodeyars allowed residents to comeback after the death of Tipu Sultan on May 4, 1799.

 Fig cultivation once again took off. Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar and Dewan Mirza Ismail gave a boost to fig cultivation. Both were admirers of the Ganjam fig and they encouraged 150 farmers in and around the village of  Ganjam to grow them. They gave subsidy and donated five guntas of land to each of the 150 growers. They also initiated steps to irrigate the fig farms with water from the Cauvery.

The figs grown on these 150 farms were initially sent to Mysore palace where the royal family of Wodeyars took pride in serving them to the British officers and visitors. Soon, Ganjam figs began to be exported to other states and they commanded a good price in the market.

The Ganjam figs gave the Australian figs and Pune figs a run for the money. They had a unique taste of their own.  
The fig farms survived till1960 after which they slowly died. Lack of encouragement, lack of proper inputs and the growing interest in other cash crops led to many farmers abandoning the fig. Today, there are barely handful of the 150 fig gardens that could be seen in and around Ganjam till the 1960s.

There is a small patch of land which belongs to the  Horticulture department where it has grown 20 plants. The department had taken possession of this 5.5 acres of land from the PWD in 1964.
It is said that the Horticulture department has taken over the 5.5 acre fig gardens from the Public Works Department in 1964. However, we can see a few Sapota plants there. The Ganjam fig plants can be seen at the department nursery at Javarahalli farm in Ganjam (there are 100 fig trees there) and at the farm in Nagamangala taluk.
When we visit Ganjam, even today we can see rusted machines and pipeline network that were used to pump water from the Cauvery to the farms. The two pumps of 40 HP and 20 HP capacity can still be seen but they are defunct.

Ganjam and its French connection

In an earlier post, we had covered the guava fruits of Ganjam, the small village just two kilometers off Srirangapatna, the island capital of Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan.

After the death of  Tipu Sultan on May 4, 1799 in Srirangapatna, Shehar Ganjam-the City that he founded was taken over by the British. However, today Ganjam is known for its French connection and not British and all thanks to Abbe J.A. Dubois or Jean-Antoine Dubois, the French missionary.

Abbe Dubois (1765-1848) was a French Catholic and he had come to India in 1792 as a member of the Missions Etrangeres de Paris.  He first came to Pondicherry and then to Srirangapatna in 1799 to reorganise the Christian community.

Apart from being a missionary, Dubois founded agricultural colonies and was instrumental in introducing vaccination as a preventive method to control smallpox.

He also wrote down a record of Hindu manners, customs and ceremonies. He gave up European society and adopted the native style of clothing, and dressed himself very much like a Hindu.

He would go around Srirangapatna, Ganjam and surrounding areas in the garb of sanyasi. Like a Hindu monk,  he abstained from eating meat and this continued for several years.

Locals of  Mysore Kingdom, used to seeing him in Indian style dress and in local manners  affectionately called him Dodda Swamiyoru.

He established “The Immaculate Conception Church (Abbe Dubois Church) at Ganjam where he lived for 30 years.
The church today has a 15-feet high bell tower. Adjacent to the bell tower is a small memorial structure (house) which is believed to be the hermitage of the Padri Abbe Dubois.

He also  founded a school for the children of Ganjam village.
The school is at the rear side of the Church and it can be said to be Ganjam’s oldest school.

Since Dubois followed local customs and tradition, he was highly  popular. He was fond of raagi mudde and he had no hesitation in joining farmers for their work in fields.

Abbe Dubois had learnt all south Indian languages, including Kannada. He knew Sanskrit too. He left India for France in January, 1823 where he became the Superior of the Christian order that he represented.

What sets out this missionary from the rest of  his ilk is his frank confession in his “Letters on the State of Christianity in India” that Hindus might never convert to Christianity.

Guavas of Ganjam

The small village of Ganjam or Shehar Ganjam near Srirangapatna was several decades ago known for its fruits and vegetables.

Ganjam today is more famous for housing the Daria Daulat-the summer palace of  Tipu, the Gumbaz-where Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan are buried and the Gosai Ghat and Sangam apart from the Nimishamba temple.

Bur just a few years ago, Ganjam was known for its high quality fruits and people of Mysore and surrounding areas literally went gaga over some of the fruits such as guavas.

There are many guava orchards in and around Ganjam and most of the yield was sent to Mysore, Srirangapatna and surrounding towns and cities, including Mandya and Malavalli.

Apart from guavas, Ganjam was also known for rearing good quality jackfruits and even figs, which were first introduced here by Tipu Sultan sometime in 1780. The orchards and fruit gardens in Ganjam received royal patronage from Hyder Ali and his son, Tipu Sultan.

The guavas of Shehar Ganjam, the city founded by Tipu, are better  known as Kabul Benne. They are known for their high-quality pulp.

The Ganjam guavas have a distinct taste and flavour. This gives them an edge over other varieties, especially those with the pink pulp. The Ganjam variety has less seeds and its pulp is highly tasty. They are, therefore, much sought after by agro-processing industries.

Many of the guava plantations are anywhere between 15 acres to 20 acres in area.

Once on the decline, the Ganjam guavas seem to have made a comeback what with bumper harvests. The unique taste has led traders and wholesale merchants from Kerala and Tamil Nadu to come to Mysore and place orders for this fruit.

Guava is native to tropical America where it occurs wild. It was introduced in India in the seventeen century. The area under guava cultivation in India increased by 64 per cent  from 94,000 hectares  in 1991-92 to 155000 ha. in 2001-02 whereas the production increased by 55 per cent from 11 lakh tonnes to 17 lakh tonnes. Major guava producing states include Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh

Guava  is a good source of vitamin C, pectin, calcium and phosphorus. It is used for the preparation of processed products like jams, jellies and nectar.  Guava jelly puree is very popular for its attractive purplish-red colour, pleasant taste and aroma. Leaves of guava are used for curing diarrhoea and also for dyeing and tanning.

Once considered a forbidden fruit, as per the Philippian mythology, guava is an essential part of a weight loss diet. In fact it also has more Vitamin C than in an orange and makes it to the list of super fruits.

According to the Karnataka Directorate of Economics and Statistics, guava is grown in almost all the districts in more than 4,200 hectares. Kolar alone produces over 30 per cent of the annual 23,000-tonne harvest in the State.

Generally,  Bangalore gets its guavas from Nelamangala, Hoskote, Magadi, Yelahanka, Doddaballapur and Devanahalli. The Allahabad Safeda and Lucknow 49, also known as Sardar are the most widely grown varieties in Karnataka.

Today, the guavas of Ganjam are also sold in Bangalore, Kodagu, Chamarajanagar, Mandya, and Dakshina Kannada.

Located just two kilometrs from Srirangapatna and to the east of the historic island, Ganjam gets its name from the Persian ‘Ganj-i-am’ meaning granary of the world.

Guava which is called the Apple of the Tropics or poor man’s Apple, is the sixth most cultivated fruit in India. It is today commercially cultivated in more than 60 countries across the world.