When rivals plotted against Kempe Gowfa

We all know that the reign of the Kempe Gowdas came to an end when the Adil Shahis of Bijapur conquered Bangalore in 1638.

The then Adil Shahi Sultan, had sent out a huge force under Ranadullah Khan, Afzal Khan (he was subsequently killed by Chatrapathi Shivaji) and Shahaji Bhonsale (father of Shivaji) to Bangalore and Sira.

While Afzal Khan marched towards Sira and conquered it, Ranadulla Khan also called as Rustam Zaman and Shahaji camped at Bangalore.

The forces of Kempe Gowda held out at the fort of Bangalore for three days before succumbing to the mighty Adil Shahi army.

The ruler of Bangalore then was  Kempe Gowda III and he had come to power in 1633. Unfortunately, his reign was marked by jealousies and squabbles and neighbouring palegars and nayaks, who had become wary of  the rising power of  Bangalore, conspired against Kempe Gowda.

These palegars could not digest the fact that Bangalore was becoming an important centre for inland trade and commerce. The natural beauty of Bangalore and its prosperity made them jealous.

Bangalore had never seen a major war after Kempe Gowda established the City in 1537. It had remained as the capital of Yelahanka Nadaprabhu’s or the Kempe Gowdas for 101 years from 1537 to 1638 A.D.

Kempe Gowda I, the founder of Bangalore, was a visionary, builder and a lover of art and architecture. He was also a powerful vassel of the Vijayanagar and he had earned his military spurs by subduing nayakas and palegars.

His son Gidde Gowda ruled for 15 years from 1570 to 1585. Thereafter, Kempe Gowda II ruled for 48 years (from 1585 to 1633), and like his grandfather, he was a builder. He constructed like Ranganathaswamy temple in Balepet and the forts in Magadi and Savanadurga. The watch-towers in Lalbagh, Kempambudhi tank, Halasur tank, and near Mekhri circle have become famous as Kempe Gowda towers.

It was during the reign of his son that the Kempe Gowda rule came to an end in Bangalore. The neighbouring rulers were never on friendly terns with Bangalore. They joined hands and conspired to bring down Kempe Gowda.

The conspiring chieftains: Hanumappa Nayaka of Basavapattana, Dalwai Chennaiah of Chennapattana, and Sumukhi Begur Nayak among others joined hands to topple Kempe Gowda.

Realising that even their combined armies could not defeat the disciplined forces of  Kempe Gowda, they invited the Adilshah to invade Bangalore. The Adil Shah was only too happy and he sent a huge force under commander Ranadulla Khan and his deputy Shahaji Bhonsle.

The Adil Shah army defeated Kempe Gowda’s army in three days and captured Bangalore. Shahaji permitted Kempe Gowda III to surrender and also allowed him to retreat to Magadi in 1638. From that day, the Kempe Gowdas could never set foot on Bangalore again and instead they set about developed Magadi and Savandurga. Shahaji permitted Kempe Gowda to rule from Magadi and this is how he came to be known as Magadi Kempe Gowda. But the char of Bangalore and its prosperity could never be replicated in Magadi.

Kempe Gowda’s descendents ruled from Magadi till 1728 when the Wodeyars under Dodda Krishnaraja Wodeyar (1714-1732) put an end to the Yelahanka Nadaprabhu’s reign. The last of the Kempe Gowdas called Kempeveera Gowda (1705-1728) or Kempe Gowda the third spent his time in a jail in Srirangapatna. It was an unhappy time for him as he had not only lost his kingdom but also liberty. He died in jail along with his general Veerabhadra Nayaka, a sad and unhappy man, ruing his fate and his defeat at Savandurga by the marauding Wodeyars.  

Thus Bangalore was lost to the Adil Shahis and Shahaji and his Marathas reigned over Bangalore from 1638 to 1688. In 1688, Khasim Khan, the Mughal Commander, took Bangalore from the Marathas and then sold it to the Wodeyars.

The hill shrine where a bow and arrow is worshipped

Trekking and Weekend Getaways

This is one hill that you can motor to the peak. The hill is visible for miles around  and the temple on the top is a landmark that has its own share of myths and legends.

The most important and perhaps the most searched article in the temple is not the deity, which is well-known though, but a huge bow.

Legend has it that the huge bow could not be lifted by several villagers when it was found at the base of the hill. Several villagers and devotees gathered together but their combined might could not even lift the bow and arrow let alone move it from its place. It was left to a small boy to undertake the task. He effortlessly lifted the bow and arrow and walked upto the temple on top of the hill and deposited it near the sanctum santorum where it still stands today.

Both the bow and arrow are made of Panchaloha.

The composition of a panchaloha is laid down in the Shilpa Shastra, an ancient Sanskrit book on icon making. Panchaloha generally comprises alloys of  gold (Au), silver(Ag), copper (Cu), iron (Fe) and lead (Pb). These are the main and major constituents. A Panchaloha may have other metals too, depending on their size, shape and usage.

The panchaloha bow here is still kept at the Ranganatha temple which also houses the idols of  Ganesha and Anjeneya. The boy is regarded as Ranganatha himself  who came here and carried the bow and arrow to the temple.

This is the Maradi Gudda and the temple is called Maradi Ranganatha. The worship of the bow and arrow is an intersting legend of this temple and it still continues today.

The Maradi Rannganatha temple has a forty feet gopura. The small Kalyani nearby is beautiful and the water is used for worshipping the deity.

Though the temple is ancient-belonging to the 13th century, the structure has been constructed or renovated recently. The deity is made of black stone and it adjoins the bow and arrow. There is a deity of Lakshmi too.

The road to the hill is through rolling fields and greenery. The hill is adjacent to Ranganathapura village in Sira Taluk of Tumlur district. It is also called as Pancha Kalasha Gudda.

The hill is135 kms from Bangalore and in recent years it has become popular because of the availability of  medicinal plants and shrubs in and around the hills. There is a small lake called Purusharama Kere at the base of  Maradi Gudda.

The best route to Maradi Gudda is by travelling upto Sira and from there take a left to the village of Hulidore. At Hulidore, a mud road to the left takes you to Maradi Gudda.

It is easy to spot the hill as it is visible for miles around. The last  stretch of the road is metalled and it winds its way up steeply. The climb is pretty steep. The temple is generally deserted and in case you want lunch to be arranged call up the priest on his mobile no

958135 205033.
In case you have time, take in the ancient monuments of Sira.