Kalyatanda Ponnappa

Last updated

Kalyatanda Ponnappa was a 17th-century warrior of Kodagu (Coorg). [1] Since he was deified after his death, the people of Kodagu consider him to be a god. He is also known as Kaliat-Achchappa or Kaliat Ajjappa. [2] [3]

Contents

Early life

Ponnappa was born in the Kalyatanda (aka Kaliatanda) family as the son of Kuttayya of Naalnaad (Nalknad). Ponnappa's parents were ardent devotees of Igguthappa. [1]

G Richter calls him ‘a Malayalam man who came to Coorg many generations ago, (and) got naturalized.’ [2] A Malayali-Kodava by birth, Ponnappa was also associated with the Malayalam land (Kerala). His forefathers had lived in Kerala and Ponnappa himself had studied tantric magic in Kerala. Kalyatanda Ponnappa had both Kodava and Malayalam origins, but was considered a Kodava warrior and is now revered as a deity by the Kodava people, but not particularly so by Malayali people.

His agrarian father was upset that Ponnappa didn't look after the fields. So Kuttayya told his wife not to feed Ponnappa and broke Ponnappa's bow. Upset with this, Ponnappa left home. Ponnappa was betrothed to his aunt's daughter. He also had a friend and assistant called Katala Boltu. [4] [3]

Career

Skirmishes

Ponnappa became the most powerful man in Naalnaad (Nalknad) and its chosen leader as well. He led the region in battles against neighbouring lords. He fought with many powerful men and killed several of them. [1] Ponnappa was a contemporary of Vira Raja, the first king of Kodagu. Ponnappa acknowledged Vira Raja's overlordship. But, the neighbouring lord, Karnayya Bavu of Bhagamandala did not acknowledge Vira Raja as the king. Karnayya raised a stealth army against the Raja. [5]

The Raja gave Ponnappa his gun, sword and a privy army of 500 guards. Karnayya wanted to befriend Ponnappa and make him an ally. Karnayya himself had an army of men carrying matchlocks, swords, bows and arrows. However, Ponnappa refused his friendship (not wishing to betray the Raja) thus insulting Karnayya and making him an enemy. [4]

Practise

Ponnappa was a practitioner of ritual magic, divination and occult. He was considered to be a sort of warlock or magician, since he was believed to be an expert at wizardry and to be able to perform many miracles. People held him in great awe and claimed that he was to manipulate supernatural beings. He held a practise where devotees came to him with their problems and he solved them. This way he was feared by some and respected in Kodagu. [2] [1] [3]

Death

Ponnappa was once poisoned by an old woman, but he managed to survive. [1] [4] Afterwards, he visited his fiancée at her home, the Kuttanjetira house in Beth village. [4] However, his enemies surrounded the place at night and attacked him. The army of body-guards the Raja had provided him were resting at another distant village at that time. Single-handedly he fought and killed a number of the enemies, until he was fatally shot near what would later become the Kacheri (office) of Nalknad taluk. [2] Badly wounded, Ponnappa dragged himself to the Makki temple where he died. [4] It was Karnayya's men who had surrounded Ponnappa and killed him in the darkness. Later, Vira Raja captured Karnayya Bavu and executed him. [5] [3]

Legacy

After his death, his spirit was believed to possess many men who displayed the magic arts that he practised. [2] Ponnappa is a legendary figure in Kodagu where folk ballads are sung about him. Festival performances are held in his honour in the Makki temple near Napoka (Napoklu) and in other temples. [1] [3] [6] [7]

Related Research Articles

The Kodava is an endangered Dravidian language and it is spoken in Kodagu district in Southern Karnataka, India. The term Kodava has two related usages. Firstly, it is the name of the Kodava language and culture followed by a number of communities from Kodagu. Secondly, within the Kodava-speaking communities and region (Kodagu), it is a demonym for the dominant Kodava people. Hence, the Kodava language is not only the primary language of the Kodavas but also of many other castes and tribes in Kodagu. The language has two dialects: Mendele and Kiggat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kodagu district</span> District of Karnataka in India

Kodagu district is an administrative district in the Karnataka state of India. Before 1956, it was an administratively separate Coorg State, at which point it was merged into an enlarged Mysore State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Codava National Council</span> Indian political party

Codava National Council, is a social organisation in the Indian state of Karnataka. Formerly CNC was known as KRMM. The KRMM demanded a separate statehood status for Kodagu until the 1990s. Later they scaled down their demand. Ever since they have been demanding a Kodava hill council in Kodagu. The CNC Organisation's President is Nandineravanda U. Nachappa Codava.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kodava people</span> Ethnic group in India

The Kodava people or Kodavas or Codavas are an ethno-linguistic group from the region of Kodagu in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, who natively speak the Kodava language. They are traditionally land-owning agriculturists and patrilineal, with martial customs. Kodavas worship ancestors and weapons. They used to worship swords, bows, arrows and later guns. Hence, Kodavas are the only ones in India permitted to carry firearms without a license.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chikka Virarajendra</span>

Chikavira Rajendra or Chikka Vira Rajendra, was the last ruler of the Kodagu (Coorg) kingdom in South India. His actual name was Vira Rajendra, but this was the name of his uncle as well; as both of them were rulers of Kodagu, the prefix Chikka is used as a distinguisher. He was a son of Linga Rajendra II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Kodagu</span>

The district of Kodagu in present-day Karnataka comprises the area of the former princely state of the same name.

The clan of Kodavas in the Indian state of Karnataka have a long history of association with the game of field hockey. The district of Kodagu which is the land of the Kodavas is considered as the cradle of Indian hockey. More than 50 Kodavas have represented India in international hockey tournaments, out of which 7 have also participated in Olympics. B P Govinda, M P Ganesh, M M Somaiya, C S Poonacha are some of the prominent Kodavas who have represented India. The passion for hockey in Kodagu is so much that more than 200 families participate in an annual hockey festival. This festival is recognised as one of the largest field hockey tournaments in the world and has been referred to the Guinness Book of Records. However it has already found a mention in the Limca Book of Records, which is an Indian variant of the Guinness Book.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nalknad Palace</span>

Nalknad Palace or Nalkunadu, called Naalnaad Aramane in the local Kodava language, is a palace located in the Kodagu district of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located near a village named Yavakapadi and was built between the years 1792 and 1794 AD. This palace was the last refuge of the last of the Haleri kings of Kodagu, Chikka Veerarajendra before he was deposed by the British. The Kannada film Shanti, which has only a single actor, was shot in the surroundings of the palace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Appachcha Kavi</span> Indian writer

Appachcha Kavi was an Indian poet and playwright. He belonged to the Kodava community and is known as the first playwright in the Kodava language.

The captivity of Kodavas (Coorgis) at Seringapatam was the period of capture, deportation, and imprisonment of Kodava Takk speaking Coorgi Christians who rebelled against Tippu Sultan, the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore, they (60,000-70,000) were caught during a number of attempts to suppress their rebellion in the 1780s.

Nadikerianda Chinnappa (1875–1931) was an Indian compiler, poet, translator, army man, police officer, cricket player, singer and philanthropist from Kodagu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coorg War</span> Conflict between the British East India Company and the State of Coorg in 1834

The Coorg War was fought between the British East India Company and the State of Coorg in 1834. Defiance of the Raja of Coorg, a small state in South India, led to a short but bloody campaign in 1834. In February 1834, a force of 7,000 was assembled under the command of Brigadier General Lindsay to commence operations against the Raja, who had begun hostilities against the British. Due to the poor state of roads, the force was divided into four columns, which were to enter Coorg from different directions and converge on the capital of Mercara. On 11 March, the Northern Division under the command of Colonel Gilbert Waugh entered the territory of Coorg and on 3 April, the leading troops made contact with the enemy. At noon, the advanced guard arrived in front of the fortified position of Soamwar Pettah. The force launched an attack on the position but was forced to retreat after a severe mauling. The leader of the Coorg resistance at was 'Madanta' (Mathanda) Appachu. Similar fate was suffered by another column.

Bācamāḍa Ḍevaiah Gaṇapati (1920–1997) was an Indian writer, scholar and journalist writing in English, Kannada and Kodava Takk, covering religion, anthropology and philosophy. He is particularly noted for his coverage of the Kodagu (Coorg) region and the Kodava ethno-linguistic group, his own birthplace and community.

Dr. I. M. Muthanna was a noted Indian writer, scholar and translator; he wrote in English, Kannada and Kodava takk and studied history, folklore and international studies. He was born in Kodagu into the Kodava (Coorg) community. He spent part of his later life in the US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coorg State</span> Former State in South India, India

Coorg State was a Part-C state in India which existed from 1950 to 1956. When the Constitution of India came into force on 26 January 1950, most of the existing provinces were reconstituted into states. Thus, Coorg Province became Coorg State. Coorg State was ruled by a Chief Commissioner with Mercara as its capital. The head of the government was the Chief Minister. Coorg State was abolished on 1 November 1956 as per the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 and its territory were merged with Mysore State. Presently, Coorg forms a district of Karnataka state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingdom of Coorg</span>

The Kingdom of Coorg was an independent kingdom that existed in India from the 16th century until 1834. It was ruled by a branch of the Ikkeri Nayaka. From 1780 to 1788, the kingdom was occupied by neighbouring Mysore but the Rajah of Coorg was restored by the British and became a protectorate of the British East India Company on 26 October 1790. In 1834, the then Raja of Coorg rebelled against British authority, sparking the Coorg War. The brief conflict led to the British to annex the kingdom in the same year, who transformed the region into a province of British India.

Chandra Varma is the name of the legendary ancestor of the Kodavas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mathanda Appachu</span> Native military leader in a South Asian battle

Mathanda Appachu was an Indian warrior and freedom fighter. He was an officer in Chikka Vira Rajendra's army. He was from Bollumad village in Beppunad in Kodagu. He was also known as Madanta Appachu. He defeated the British in battle in 1834.

Kannanda Doddayya was a Kodava commander who defeated Hyder Ali's forces thrice. He was also known as Kannana Doddayya and Doddanna.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Muthanna, Dr. I. M. (1971). The Coorg Memoirs (the story of the Kodavas). Mysore: Dr I M Muthanna. p. 233.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Richter, Rev G (1870). Manual of Coorg. Mangalore: C. Stolz, Basel Mission. p. 165.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Muthanna, I M (1987). Kodavas and their gala 'lela': Kodava folklores and songs. p. 74.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Chinnappa, Nadikerianda (1924). Pattole Palame.
  5. 1 2 Kushalappa, Mookonda (9 January 2017). "The set-up of Kodagu's royal cemetery". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  6. ↑ "Kalyatanḍa okka". Kodagu Heritage. KodavaClan. 17 October 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  7. ↑ "ainmanes.com". www.ainmanes.com. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.