The Curse of the talakkad

Where is it : Talakkad (Talakad/ Talakadu/ Talakkadu) is in Mysore district. To reach there, take the NH209 (Kanakapura road) past Malavalli. Soon after Malavalli, there is a T junction, with road on the right going towards Mandya/Mysore. Take the left and continue in NH209, towards Kollegal. About some 5kms before the detour for Sivanasamudram, there are sign boards indicating Talakkad, 22 kms to the right.
Things to check out : River Cauvery(ideal for taking baths), Sand-dunes which has buried Temples(30+) and palaces under it’s might, Intricate architecture of the shiva temple( Panchalingas and the main temple)

Things to watch out for : Rustic roads(be sure to have a vehicle with good suspension) for miles around and food (Amazing picnic spot to pack your own food with you)
History : Temple ; Curse
Pics : Temple Pics

“Let Talakkad become sand
Let Malingi become a whirlpool
Let the Mysore Kings fail to beget sons”

This is the Curse of Talakad, which according to our guide (local guy) was uttered by AlameluAmma, when the Wodeyars(Mysore kings) offered to take her under their protection after her Husband(king of talakkad) died of a un-healing wound (cancer).

Somehow, this folk lore has found truth in the sandy dunes of Talakkad, which covered a once lushy palace. But of course, there have also been scientific explanations which document how the Cauvery river flowing nearby, could have brought across this huge deluge of sand (a mini-tsunami) or an earth-quake to bury the entire town underneath.

Originally planned to visit Somnathpura, we had to choose to stick on with Talakkad due to the length and rigor of the journey. The journey to talakkad can be written about, but the experience cannot be described… for in simple truth, it was a mind-boggling stretch of 1 Kms … puzzled !!! so were we, as every village simpleton we asked along the road from Bangalore, simply retorted… “Just 1 Km sir” for the almost 40 Km stretch !!!

Once you reach the cursed land, you suddenly realize the sudden shift in the scenary which changes from a lush village terrain to a sandy-desert kinda oasis, and maybe for that one second start to believe in the story. You find almost an entire palace being unearthed from underneath these sandy-coffins, and because of the fine-grain nature of the sand.. you can sometimes also kick the upper-most ends of a mighty fort-wall.

The pathways are quite tricky, and it makes sense to hire a local guide (some come as cheap as 30 Rs), while the standard guide would charge you nothing less than 150/-. First he takes you across to the Panch-lingas(5 lingas) supposedly branched off from the Main linga (Shiva’s idol). You might mistake that these temples were built under-ground, but the truth is that what was once a high-rised temple, is totally encompassed with Sand.

The actual beauty to the sight is the half-excavated palace(the entrance to a palace rather), which was laid thread-bare on the ground(horizontally than vertically) and just near it, you find a Shiva temple (1001 lingas within) buried with only the top layer riddled with lingas visible. Of course, the main temple for Vaideshwara(Lord Shiva) itself is a beauty with intricate designs, and a Snake stone made of a single stone.

By the time, we reached back to Bangalore it was 11 PM, and I missed the showing of “300” the movie… and curse came to a full-end.

Additional info : Panchalinga darshana is a rare pilgrimage that is celebrated every few years. The Vaidyeshwara temple, Arkeshwara temple, Vasukishwara or Pataleshwara temple Saikateshwara or Maraleshwara temple and Mallikarjuna temple constitute the Panchalingam. The Pataleshwara Shivalinga is said to change colors according to the time of the day-red in the morning, black in afternoon and white in the evening.

Witty Excerpt: Incidentally, I was traveling with a HP colleague and her adorable daughters, who were then hell-bent on adopting a puppy… practical mommy responded that if they were “IMPECCABLY well-behaved” then they could get a puppy…
“Of course mom, you know we do not peck anyone”
Further later during the discussion, they were more so trying to reach to a compromise… “maybe, there was a chance that you could get a puppy”, the exasperated mom responded….
with the correct opportune moment to use the newly learned word, the younger one retorted.
“No mommy, you have to IMPECCABLY get us the puppy”