Talakadu

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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Talakadu (तलकाड़) is a desert-like town on the left bank of the Kaveri River 45 km from Mysore and 133 km from Bangalore in Karnataka, India.

Origin

Talakadu name was derived from two Kirāta twin brothers, Tala and Kādu.

Variants

• Talakada (तलकाड़) दे. Shirovana शिरोवन (AS, p.392)
• Talakada (तालकड़) (मैसूर) (AS,p.398)
• Shirovana शिरोवन, मैसूर, (AS,p.900)
• Tala-kādu/Talakādu
• Talekād
• Talkād (तलकाड़)
• Dalavana-pura/Dalavanapura
• Rājarājapura/Rajarajapura

Jat clans

• Tala
• Kādu

History

It once had over 30 temples, most of which now lay buried in sand. The extant group of temples, where the eastward flowing Kaveri river changes course as the sand on its banks spreads over a wide area, is a popular pilgrimage site for Hindus.

The origin of the town is lost in antiquity; but one tradition is that its name was derived from two Kirāta twin brothers, Tala and Kādu, who, cutting down a tree which they saw wild elephants worshiping, discovered that it contained an image of Shiva, and that the elephants were rishis transformed. The tree being miraculously restored, all obtained mōksha and the place was named Tala-kādu, which was translated into Sanskrit as Dala-vana. Two stone images declared to represent the brothers are pointed out in front of the temple Veerabadra swamy. In a later age, Rāma is said to have halted here on his expedition to Lanka.

The earliest authentic mention of the city of Talekād or Talakādu, in Sanskrit Dalavana-pura, is in connection with the Ganga line of kings. Harivarma, who has been assigned to find a place (247-266 A.D) was, according to an old chronicle, installed at Skandapura (said to be Gajalhatti, in the Coimbatore country, near where the Moyār flows into the Bhavāni), but resided in the great city of Dalavanapura in the Karnāta-dēsa. Thenceforward Talkād became the capital these powerful sovereigns and there the subsequent kings of that line were crowned.

At the beginning of the 11th century, the Western Gangas succumbed to the Chōlas, who captured Talkād and gave it the name of Rājarājapura. But about a hundred years later it was taken by the Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana, who drove the Chōlas out of Mysore. After this time we find that Talkād was composed of seven towns and five mathas or monastic establishments. The town of Māyilangi or Malingi, on the opposite side of the river, was also a large place, and had the name of Jananāthapura. Down to the middle of the 14th century, it remained a possession of the Hoysalas, and then passed into the hands of a feudatory of the Vijayanagar sovereigns, whose line appears to be known as that of Sōma-Rāja.

तालकड़ = तलकाड़

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर ने लेख किया है ...तालकड़ (मैसूर) (AS,p.398) तालकड़ अथवा 'तलकाड़' मैसूर का एक प्राचीन नगर था। गंग वंश के राजा बूतुंग द्वितीय (लगभग 937-960) ने तुंगभद्रा और कृष्णा नदियों के बीच अपना व्यापक राज्य क़ायम किया था। इस समय तालकड़ उसकी राजधानी थी। बाद के समय में चोल शासकों ने इस पर शासन किया। प्राचीन नगर तालकड़ शिवसमुद्र से 15 मील दूर कावेरी के तट पर बसा हुआ था। अब नदी के द्वारा लाई हुई बालू में यह पूरी तरह अंट गया है। इस नगर के अनेक ध्वंसावशेष आज भी बालू के नीचे दबे पड़े हैं। 1717 ई. में बने हुए कीर्तिनारायण के मंदिर को बालू में से खोद निकाला गया गया है।

शिरोवन

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर ने लेख किया है ...शिरोवन, मैसूर, (AS,p.900) - शिरोवन मैसूर श्रीरंगपट्टनम से 40 मील पूर्व में तलकाड नामक स्थान है, जहां प्राचीन चेर साम्राज्य की राजधानी थी। यह स्थान कावेरी नदी के बालू में दबा पड़ा है।

तिरुमकुडलू

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर ने लेख किया है ...तिरुमकुडलू (AS, p.402) तालकड़, मैसूर से 15 मील दूर कावेरी नदी के तट पर स्थित है। तालकड़ में भगवान शिव का प्राचीन मंदिर है। इस मंदिर की यात्रा करने के लिए दूर-दूर से यात्री आते हैं।