Talakad

Curse of Talakadu

In 1610 CE, the Mysore Rāja conquered Talakadu under the following circumstances. Tirumala-Rāja—sometimes called Srī Ranga Rāya—the representative of the Vijayanagar family at Srirangapatna, being afflicted with an incurable disease, came to Talkād for the purpose of offering sacrifices in the temple of Vaidyēsvara. His second wife Rāni Alamelamma was left in charge of the government of Srirangagapattanam, but she—hearing he was on the point of death—soon after left for Talkād with the object of seeing him before he died, handing over Srirangapattanam and its dependencies to Rāja Wodeyar of Mysore, whose dynasty ever since retained them. It appears that Rāja Wodeyar had been desirous of possessing the jewels which was the property of the Rāni, and being unable to obtain them and eager to seize at any pretext, he levied an army and proceeded against the Rani. Rāni Alamelamma went to the banks of the Cauvery, and throwing in the jewel, drowned herself opposite Mālangi, at the same time uttering a three-fold curse: "Let Talakād become sand; let Mālangi become a whirlpool; let the Mysore Rājas fail to beget heirs." The latter part continues to affect the royal family.