*** Tipu Sultans Sathyamangalam connection **** -------------------------------------------------------------- The Sathyamangalam region, gateway to Tamil Nadu from Karnataka and major army route of the erstwhile Karnataka rulers, has an interesting place in history. This area, which came into recent prominence with the Special Task Force putting an end to jungle bandit Veerappan, is home to elephants and wild animals. According to S.R.Krishnaswamy, a Tipu Sultan chronicler based here, and A.R.K.Arun, a palaeontologist, in one of the 100 pillars of the Venugoplaswamy Temple at Sathyamangalam are the images of the deity and Tipu Sultan. Religious harmony Tipu is depicted with a bare-chested tunic and holds a parrot on his right hand. His left hand folded at the waist is supported by a staff. The characteristic moustache and turban signify his identity. A local Muslim prays every morning in this temple. Religious harmony of Tipus domain has not been found wanting here. They point out that in the dense forests adjacent to Sathyamangalam lies the silent sentinel of the bygone era — the Gajjalhatti bridge. Many prehistoric artefacts (Neolithic) have been found in and near the Gajjalhatti pass and Thengumarhatta regions. Near the Gajjalhatti pass, black and red russet-coated potsherds of the Megalithic period have been found. Trade routes Through the Palghat pass, three trade routes existed in the Kongu region. To reach Mysore from Palghat, the route via Perur-Danaickenkottai had a pass at Gajjalhatti. During the medieval period, tax was levied for traders on this route. The epigraphic inscriptions of Dananickenkottai confirm this fact. Later, this pass was repaired by Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan and the road laid subsequently came to be known as Sultan Road. The bridge at the Gajjalhatti pass is made of lime and mortar inlaid with thin bricks. It is evident that the cannons and the renowned bullocks of Tipus army would have easily commuted on this bridge. Five km down south near the Gajjalhatti fort, which is in ruins, an Electricity Board sub-station and quarters and a dargah are seen on the riverbank. The dargha is known to be the place of burial of five of Tipus officers, one of them being Burhanuddin killed in the third Mysore War in September 1790. This looks like a Sufi shrine and people of any background offer prayers. They say Tipu would have used the EB sub-station area and the quarters as a garrison. The bridge at the pass has not been affected by the floods or by erosion. After the fall of Srirangapatna in May 1799, the Britishers destroyed the vital forts of Sathyamangalam, Danaickenkottai and Gajalhatti to wreck the nerve-line of provisions to and from Mysore. Yet the bridge has survived the ravages of time. Mr. Krishnaswamy and Mr. Arun plead that this bridge, which is a great strategic location, be declared a historical monument. On conservation, they say picnickers and film shooting should not be allowed on the bridge as this falls under the elephant corridor. -- By G. Satyamurty , Feb28, 2005 Thanks : The Hindu
Posted on: Tue, 15 Jul 2014 13:48:39 +0000
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