Mandya: Many people are aware of vested interests encroaching upon properties belonging to Mysuru Maharajas. An attempt to grab such a property at Kirangur near Srirangapatna has come to light now.
Everyone is aware that Mysuru Maharajas used to celebrate Dasara Festival in Srirangapatna. As a testimony to that, the Dasara Mantapa used then is still existing. Close to that was the Raja Mantapa where the royal family used to sit and watch the festival programmes. Surprisingly, the Raja Mantapa and acres of land around that have been reportedly encroached upon demolishing the Raja Mantapa.
Dasara: Ranadheera Kanteerava Narasimharaja Wadiyar and his predecessors had also established a Bannimantap near Raja Mantapa at Kirangur village near Wellesley bridge on survey number 415 where Goddess Chamundeshwari was worshipped on Dasara Festival days. During those days, a procession was taken out with an idol of the deity followed by cultural programmes.
After offering puja at Ranganathaswamy temple, the Dasara procession used to proceed to Mysore, which clearly remains in memory of historians and seniors of the village.
Legal action: Raitha Sangha leader Kirangur Mohan Kumar has urged the Government to take legal action on culprits who have demolished the Raja Mantapa. He has also appealed Additional DC Vijay, Pandavapura Assistant Commissioner and Srirangapatna Tahsildar to restore the historic Raja Mantapa to resume the Dasara Festival.
Mohan Kumar has alleged that a few vested interests had got the Government land around the Raja Mantapa transferred in their name and khata made, to go on with some other construction activity. He further alleged that a 20ft. tall ‘Garuda Kamba’ in front of the Mantapa had been shifted elsewhere.
He complained that idols of various deities too were lying there neglected. He has contended that such a grave irregularity on a heritage site would be a black mark for Srirangapatna and has warned of a protest if the area was not restored.
He has also appealed Pramoda Devi Wadiyar and Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar to inspect the area in Sriragapatna.
@ Everyone is aware that Mysuru Maharajas used to celebrate Dasara Festival in Srirangapatna. As a testimony to that, the Dasara Mantapa used then is still existing….
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@ Dasara: Ranadheera Kanteerava Narasimharaja Wadiyar and his predecessors had also established a Bannimantap near Raja Mantapa at Kirangur village near Wellesley bridge on survey number 415 where Goddess Chamundeshwari was worshipped on Dasara Festival days. During those days, a procession was taken out with an idol of the deity followed by cultural programmes……
I am afraid identifying this small nondescript Mantap as Bannimantap of Ranadhira’s period has no historic proof.
Sir Mark Wilks, who wrote the first definitive History of Mysore after collecting information – both oral and thro’ scriptures during his term as Resident of Mysore says thus:
” On the morning of the 12th of August, the day on which they were expected to arrive, the gates of the fort were not opened at the accustomed hour; and with the first of clear day-light, a tremendous cannonade opened on Hyder and his troops from all the works which bore on the position; which was the Maha Noumi Muntup, situated on the ground now occupied by a part of the Deria- Dowlut Baug….”
He further describes Maha-Noumi Muntup as- ” The pavilion of the great ninth,” viz. the last day of the festival commonly called the Dessara : on which day the Raja performed at this pavilion the ceremony of preparing his arms and pitching his tent and standard. ”
similarly he also elaborates on Derial Dowlut Baug as – ” The garden of the wealth of the sea” with a palace erected and so named
by Tippoo. The walls are covered with rude paintings of his military exploits, and particularly the defeat of Colonel Baillie in 1780″
Thus Wiks clearly establishes that the Present Deria daulat Garden was the place where the Maha-Navami Mantap was located.
This was the place where he had camped when his one time protege Dewan Khande Row attacks him from the ramparts of the Fort..
This again corroborated in a Kannada Book called Yadashtu Haidar Nama (ಯಾದಾಸ್ತು ಹೈದರ ನಾಮಾ ) published by Karnataka Government State Archives, where the same incident is described as
ಹೈದರಲ್ಲಿಖಾನ ಬಹದೂರರು ಉಭಯ ಕಾವೆರಿ ಮದ್ಯೆ ಮಹಾನೌಮಿ ಮಂಟಪದ ಬಳಿ ದಂಡು ಇಳಿದರು– meaning Hyder Ali Khan Bahadur camped with his army at Maha Navami Mantap situated between the two halves of Cauvery.
Kirangur is on the other bank of cauvery and it is unrealistic to expect Ranadhira and his large entourage would cross the River to perform the Navami – pooja ! Besides the so called Manatp is too small for a Royal Durbar !
In a similar work edited by ti.tA.sharma called ಹೈದರ ನಾಮಾ, the author repeats the above narration: ಹೈದರಲ್ಲಿಖಾನ ಬಹದರರೂ ವುಭಯ ಕಾವೆರಿ ಮದ್ಯೆ ಮಹಾರ್ನವುಮೀ ಮಂಟಪದ ಬಳಿ ದಂಡು ಯಿಳಿದರು…
Again in another place in the same book the author says: ನವಾಬರು ಕೊಯಮತ್ತೂರಿನಿಂದ ಪಟ್ಣದ ಬಳಿಗೆ ಬಂದು ಮಹಾರ್ನವುಮೀ ಮಂಟಪದ ಬಳಿ ಯಿಳಿದರು..
Thus these records put things beyond doubt that Mahanavami manatap was within the island and outside the Fort and Hyder and army normally used to camp at this place and it was here he built Derai daulat .
The fact that one of the three branches of Banagara Doddi Canal built by Ranadhira culminated at Deraia Daulat Baugh also adds credence to this fact.
Lastly in the Kannada Classic by Govinda Vaidya the court scholar of Ranadhira in his famous work – Kantirava Narasaraja Vijaya, while describing Vijaya dasahami procession says:
ಪುರದ ಬಹಿರ್ಭಾಗದ ಪೂರ್ವದೆಸೆಯಲಿ
ಪಿರಿದಪ್ಪ ಶಮಿಯ ಮಂಟಪವ
ಪರಿಪರಿಯಲಿ ಬಹುಸಿಂಗರಗೈಸಿದ
ಧುರಧೀರ ಲಿಂಗೆಯ ಗೌಡ
Meaning the Shami Manatapa which is outside th town and on the eastern direction was decorated exquisitely by Lingayya Gowda.
This also corroborates the above fact as Deraia Daualt is located on the eastern side and outside the town/fort.
One wonders who is behind the above inpsired story of calling a non-descript manatap as the Mahanavami- Shami Mnatap !
This should stop and the historic truth should prevail even if that place is either demolished and remodelled as Derai daulat by Hyder and Tipu.