Talakad
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Talakad
Town in the Tirumakudal-Narsipur taluk of Mysore District, Mysore, situated in 12° 11' N. and 77° 2' E., on the north bank of the Cauvery, 28 miles south-east of Mysore city. Population (1901), 3,857. The Sanskrit form of the name is Takvanapura. It is of great antiquity, having been the capital of the Ganga kings from the third to the eleventh century. It was then taken by the Choks, who overthrew the Ganga power. Under them it received the name of Rajarajapura, after the reigning Chola king. About 1116 it was taken by the Hoysaks, who drove the Cholas out of Mysore. During their period it contained seven towns and five maths. The associated town of Mayilangi or Malingi, on the opposite side of the river, was called jananathapura. After the Hoysala power had come to an end, in the middle of the fourteenth century, the place passed into the hands of local chiefs who were tributary to Vijayanagar. Hither the viceroy of Seringapatam retired on being ousted by the Raja of Mysore in 1610. According to tradition, the latter was eager to gain possession of a costly jewel belonging to the viceroy's wife. In order to secure it he marched upon Talakad, which was taken by escalade. But the Ram threw the jewel into the river, and drowned herself oppo- site Malingi, at the same time uttering the threefold curse — ' Let Talakad become sand ; let Malingi become a whirlpool ; let the Mysore Rajas go without heirs.' The old city of Talakad is now completely buried beneath hills of sand, stretching for nearly a mile in length, only the tops of two pagodas being visible. More than thirty temples are said to lie beneath the sand. That of Kirtti- Narayana is occasionally opened with great labour to allow access for certain ceremonies. The most imposing temple left uncovered by the sand is that of Vedesvara. The yearly advance of the sand- hills, which drove the inhabitants to abandon their homes and retreat farther inland, has been somewhat checked of late by planting creepers and trees. But the people do nothing, deeming it useless to fight against the curse. A municipality was formed in 1899. The receipts and expenditure during the two years ending 1901 averaged Rs. 800 and Rs. 500. In 1903-4 they were Rs. 1,700 and Rs. 1,800.
