NAGARA (BIDANURU)
Nagara,(ನಗರ)
now a small town at a distance of about twenty kilometers from Shivamogga was known
earlier as Bidanur, Bidarur and also as Venupura in a sanskrtised version. This
was the capital city of the Keladi dynasty after 1640. The capital was shifted hrom
Keladi to Nagara was made during the regime of Veerabhadra Nayaka. However the person
who was responsible for the growth and wealth of Bidanur was Raja Shivappa Nayaka
whose administration was so disciplined as to be described as “Shivappanayakana
Shistu’ even to this day. (prahara paTTi or aDike hAlattu)
The word ‘shistu’ also means ‘tax’. Land revenues were assessed and collected in
a very scientic manner. This town was in a trade route that facilitated the movement
of merchandise from the hilly regions (malenaaDu) to the costal regions. This fact
contributed hugely to its development. Forts and palaces were built in a phased
manner and Bidanur boasted of a fort which had a circumference of twelve kilometers.
It had ten entrances which were given different names. The fort is entered by a
gateway supported by two round bastions. The courtyard inside shows signs of a former
guard room. Inside the third wall is a large open court facing which is a terrace
overlooking the fort.
There was a palace on a small hillock and which
was surrounded by another small fort.
However this glory did not last long. Hyder Ali invaded
Bidanur in 1763 during the regime of Rani Veerammaji and assumed the throne. He
established a military centre in the town and named it as Hyder nagara. The town
housed a small mint which created coins called Hyderi Pagodas. They were also manufacuring
ammunition for
fire arms in a small factory. Bidanur was taken over by the British government after
the defeat of Tipu Sultan and gradually it was marginalised. An act of rebellion
against Mummadi Krishnaraja Odeyar the king of
Devagange, built by the kings of Bidanur is an engineering
marvel. Water flowing from the hills above was collected in seven ponds which different
shapes. Two lakes shaped like a lotus and a star are particularly beautiful.
Nagara has many temples among which Neelakatheshvara
takes the pride of place. It’s built in the architectural style peculiar to malenaaDu.
But it has a dome built in the Islamic style. Gudde Venkataramana temple and the
Srirama temple have door frame made in the Hoysala style and bells manufactured
in
It is interesting to note quite few literary works
are produced with Bidanur as the locale. “Chennabasavanyaka' a novel by Masti Venkatesha
Iyyengar who has won Jnanapeetha award for Kannada, depicts the last days of the
Keladi dynasty and the confrontation between Veerammaji and Hyder Ali. ‘Nagarada
RaNi’ by Veerakesari Seetharama Shastry’ is another novel with the same theme.
1.
References:
Samak S.G.: Art and architecture of the nayakas pf keladi with special reference
to kaavaledurga and nagara (bidanur) (a micro study) 1996, Dept of History,