Bidanur

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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Bidanur (बिदनूर) or Nagara is a historic village in the Shimoga district of the state of Karnataka, India.

Variants

• Bidanur बिदनूर, कर्नाटक, (AS, p.629)
• Bidhanol/Bidhanola/Bidhnola बिधनोल दे. Vidanura बिदनूर (AS, p.629)
• Bidanoor
• Bidnur
• Bidanoor
• Hydernagar
• Hydernagara
• Vidhanola विधनोल दे. Vidanura विदनूर (p.859)

Location

It is 17 km from Hosanagara or 84 km from Shimoga. Kollur Mookambika temple is 40 km from here. The nearest airport is Mangalore International Airport.

History

This was called "Bidanur (Bidanoor)" or "Bidnur (Bidanoor)" earlier during the 16th century, this was the last capital city of Keladi rulers.

In 1763, Hyder Ali, Sarvadhikari of Mysore captured this fort and called "Hydernagar" or "Hydernagara" after his name "Hyder". Farmers of the region in and around the village were instrumental in sparking the Nagar revolt against the Mysore kingdom in 1830.

Shivappa Nayaka palace, fort, Devaganga tank, Neelakenteshwara temple and Gudde Venkataramana Swamy temple are worth visiting. The fort is built on a small hill, beside a lake. The fort has a system to circulate water around it for safety.

On the hill, within the fort, there are Darbar Hall (King's Court), remains of a palace, two tanks called Akka Thangi Kola (Tanks of two sisters), and a cannon. Devaganga tank is a cluster of seven tanks for bathing. Nagara in Kannada language literally means city. The place is amidst green thick forests which are giving way to urbanisation and eventually to deforestation.

बिदनूर

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर ने लेख किया है .....बिदनूर (AS, p.629) कर्नाटक में छत्रपति शिवाजी के समय में तुंगभद्रा नदी के उद्गम स्थान के पास पश्चिमी घाट पर एक पहाड़ी राज्य था। यहाँ के राजा का नाम 'शिवाप्पा' था। बीजापुर के सुल्तान अली आदिलशाह ने इस राज्य पर विजय प्राप्त कर शिवाप्पा को अपने अधीन कर लिया। एक वर्ष के बाद ही शिवाप्पा की मृत्यु होने पर उसका पुत्र गद्दी पर बैठा, जिसे 1676 ई. में शिवाजी ने अपना करद बना लिया। शिवाजी के समकालीन कविवर भूषण ने बिदनूर को 'विधनोल' लिखा है- 'उत्तर पहार विधनोल खंडहर झारखंडहू प्रचार चारु केली है विरद की' ( शिवराज भूषण-159.)