Keladi Chennamma
Keladi Chennamma was a valiant woman who ruled the Keladi kingdom between 1677 and 1696 and was the queen of the Keladi Veerashaiva kingdom in Karnataka. Keladi was the first capital of famous Keladi leaders.
Chennamma was the daughter of Siddappashetta of Kotipura and daughter-in-law of Somasekharanayaka I (1664-1679). The main events of Chennamma’s reign are known from Lingannakavi’s treatise Keladinripavijaya and other sources.
King Somasekharanayaka of Keladi (Sagar taluk) was efficient in the beginning but fell prey to the evils of evil company and became paranoid and was finally murdered in 1671. He had no children. Anarchy ensued in the lower kingdom. Opponents of the Nayaka clan wanted to bring anyone they wanted to the post of Nayaka. In such a dire situation, Chennamma took over the administration and established peace in the state with extraordinary skill.
Taking advantage of the plight of Keladi, the Sultan of Bijapur and other colonists had laid an ambush to devour Keladi. Chennamma once had to flee from the capital due to the plot of his enemies. With the help of her favorite minister Guru Basappadeva and Dandanayakas Krishnappaiah and Timmarasayya, she defeated the enemies and saved the kingdom from disaster. The most significant events of her reign were the defeat of Aurangzeb’s army which came to war as a result of Queen Chennamma Chhatrapati Shivaji’s second son Rajaram being sheltered by Queen Channamma of Keladi. Chennamma is famous for saving the Ikkeri state from disaster with her steadfast determination, foresight and learning. The wars between Mysore and Keladi for the expansion of the state continued even during the reign of Queen Chennammaji. Chennamma faced the expansionist work of the lords of Mysore.
The Keladi leaders belonged to the Malava Goudas/Mountain Okkaligara caste and followed the Veerashaiva faith. Since Chennamma had no offspring, she adopted a son named Basappa. She trained him in war and administration and in 1696 named him as Keladi Basavabhupal and entrusted him with the administration. It is known that she died two years later in 1698.
Keladi Chennamma built monasteries and temples for Jangamari. She built many agraharas in her husband’s name. She named an Agrahara after her own name Chennammambapura. She erected a flagpole next to the Veerabhadra temple in Keladi. She gave a special donation to the Mukamba temple. Chandradrona Parvata temple at Dattapeeth is one of them.
Shivamogga is surrounded by beautiful natural spots including waterfalls, forests and hills, making it a favorite destination for nature lovers and trekkers. The serene atmosphere and pleasant climate of this region attracts tourists from different parts of the country.
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