‘THE CURSE OF TALAKAD’
How does a lush green place home to several temples turn into a desert? Is a curse the reason why the Wodeyar Rajas’ alternate generations have no biological heirs? What is the intriguing story behind the curse of this small town called Talakad (or Talakadu) in Mysore? This is one of the most intriguing places to come visit on cheap air tickets to India.
On the banks of the Cauvery River, about 45km from Mysore lays a desert-like town called Talakad. It was once home to nearly 30 temples, most of which are buried under sand now. This is a holy site for Hindus today. The origins of Talakad are unclear but one theory goes like this: The name of the town was derived from the names of the Kirāta twin brothers — Tala and Kādu. It is said they saw wild elephants worshipping a tree which they then cut down. They discovered that the tree contained an idol of the Hindu deity Shiva and that the elephants were Rishis (saints) transformed. The tree was then miraculously restored and they all attained moksha. The place was then named Talakadu. It is said that in the years to come, Lord Rama halted here on his way to Lanka. But as interesting as the story of its origin is, all the more interesting is the story of how a curse by a Queen transformed this prosperous town into a desolate desert place.
The story of the curse goes like this…
The curse of Talakad dates back to the 1600’s. The region was captured by Raja Wodeyar under these strenuous circumstances: Tirumala-Rāja, also known popularly as Srī Ranga Rāya, was the Vijayanagar family’s representative at Srirangapatna. He was afflicted by an incurable disease and he decided to come to Talakad with his first wife to offer prayers and sacrifices at the temple of Vaidyēsvara. In his absence, he left his second wife Queen Alamelamma in charge of governing Srirangapatnam. But when she heard that he was nearing death, she went to see her husband before he passed away. She handed over Siringapatnam’s responsibilities over to Raja Wodeyar of Mysore, whose dynasty has since retained it. Apparently, the Raja was desirous of all jewels which belonged to Queen Alamelamma, and he instructed his men to find her and bring him all her jewels. The Queen fled with all her jewelry possessions. When she was cornered at the edge of the Cauvery River, she made a difficult choice. She decided that death was better than the victory of Raja Wodeyar. She threw away all her jewels into the River and jumped to her death. But not before pronouncing a threefold curse upon the region and Raja Wodeyar.
The curse -
“Talakadu Maralagi, Malangi Maduvagi, Mysooru Arasarige Makkalagadirali” which translated means — “Let Talakād become sand; let Mālangi become a whirlpool; let the Mysore Rājas fail to beget heirs.”
Why it is widely believed the curse worked
There are two prime reasons why it is widely believed that the curse which Queen Alamelamma worked. One reason is that the once vibrant, prosperous town is now submerged in sand dunes going several meters deep. The second reason is the Mysore Royal family has encountered difficulties since the 17th century of having a rightful heir to the throne. Both these events have baffled people to no end, defying logic that an apparent curse by a pious Queen has managed to plague the Mysore Royal family and Talakad region for centuries. The royal family members are today devotees of Alamelamma. When Raja Wodeyar reportedly lost his sons, he instructed that a statue of Alamelamma be built. They have since been her worshippers and several people pray to her as well in the hope that the curse might be lifted.
While many have believed that this curse is the reason for these events, others offer a geological explanation. They believe the region was prone to sand dunes even back then, and the legend of the curse was slyly put in later on. But as to the phenomenon about why certain generations of the Wodeyars have remained childless, they offer no explanation.
How to get there
Mysore is the nearest airport to Talakad and is well connected to other cities by domestic flights. You can book last minute flights with Indian Eagle travel agency which offers them at discounts. Apart from cheap international flight tickets, they also have the best deals on business class flights. Avail their discounted airfares and come visit this mysterious place. You can book cheap flights to Bangalore as well which is another great place to visit in Karnataka.
