Did you know that a visit to Mysore isn’t just about the delights of the gorgeous palace of the Wadiyars and the legendary Dasara celebrations?

Mysore is the jump-off point for another discovery of delight not familiar to many tourists who prefer to follow the crowds for comfort and convenience. 

Just 48 km away lies a treasure trove of cultural splendour, brought to light only by peeling away thick layers of sand on the embankments of the holy Kaveri River.

Welcome to Talakadu. This once flourishing town once completely vanished under a river of sand! Richly embraced in local myths and legends the riverside township is all about lost temples, a curse and banishment of a dynasty under the sands of time by a brave and bold queen. 

Talakadu, a bustling riverside town since the 3rd century has a layered history. From being under the sway of the Ganga dynasty (4th-10th century CE) it was subsequently ruled by the Cholas, the Hoysalas and the rulers of the Vijayanagara Kingdom, the Rayas, who were descendants of the Sangma dynasty. Talakadu came into the fold of the Mysore kings, the Wadiyars, around the 1600s. In 1634 Talakadu was wrested by Wadiyars from Sriranga Raya, the viceroy representing the Vijayanagara kingdom.

The more prosaic viewpoint of the township vanishing under a river of sand is that scientists have speculated that it could be because of the building of a dam in the 14th century, which eventually, (supposedly) displaced sand from the river in great masses on to the embankments. Another school of thought has it that a fault running through the river Kaveri caused the sand dunes. The phenomenon, however continues to remain a bit of a mystery.

But what engages us most is the narrative of curses that led to the vanishing of the town and desire for the cease of Mysore’s Wadiyar dynasty. 

It appears that the highly ambitious, expansionist Raja Wadiyar 1, who now held Talakadu, took upon himself to attack the nearby town of Srirangapatna under the rule of the now ailing Sriranga Raya, the viceroy of the Vijayanagra kingdom. Raja Wadiyar 1 also had his eyes on the gorgeous jewels which adorned the idol of Goddess Sri Ranga Nayaki enshrined in Srirangapatna’s Ranganath Temple. These jewels were on temporary loan from Alameamma, the wife of the viceroy. She was an ardent devotee of the goddess. 

With viceroy Sriranga Raya now dead his widow Alameamma continued to be hassled by the Mysore king’s soldiers. To escape the ignominy of being taken captive she fled with her jewels rolled up in a cloth. Seeing no way out of her plight with the enemies fast at her heels, clutching her jewels she leapt off a cliff into the waiting arms of the Kaveri. In her dying breath she cursed the town, promising that Talakadu would be buried under a river of sand, never to surface again. Nearby Malangi, she predicted, would transform into a death-bringing whirlpool to bring these events to pass. Gathering the last vestiges of breath in her body she rained down an even more dreadful curse—the house of Wadiyar, she screamed, would end as no more male heirs would be born to keep the kingdom alive.

Much of what she said had come true…the township vanished under a river of sand, it was abandoned by the people — and for centuries the Wadiyars have had problems begetting male heirs.

It was only around 1991 that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) started excavations on this site. Amongst the temples that have been wrested from the depths of the sand dunes are five Shiva temples--- the Pathaleshwara, Maruleshwara, Arkeshwara, Vaidyanatheshwara and Mallikarjuna temples. These living temples now form part of the Pancha Linga Darshan. The Panchalinga Darshana festival is held here every 12 years.

The 9th century Vaidyanatheshwara Temple, largely still intact, is noted for its Ganga-Chola-Hoysala architectural features. 

The Keerthi Narayan Temple is still partially buried in the sand. The sanctum of the restored shrine, a short distance away, features an eight-foot-high idol of Keertinarayana.

Of interest too are recent finds such as Jain basadis, ring wells, bathing ponds and mud walls, which could quite likely be remains of a palace

Despite being by a river Talakadu largely remains a desert town, its sand dunes still hiding its ancient secrets. 

It’s interesting to note that there was a move by the present-day Wadiyars to make amends for these past sins of over 400 years back, when Alamelamma rained curses on them.

The dynasty has been adopting children since the days of the curse to ensure the Wadiyar line remains alive.

Mysore's erstwhile royal, Srikantadatta Narasaraja Wadiyar too had no heir at the time of his death in 2013. Palace historian Nanjaraje Urs shared that Srikantadatta had a dream in which Queen Alamelamma, who had cursed the Mysore kings, had said that the curse was over and he would have children. However, that dream never became a reality; but Srikantadatta had believed this and hence he had not adopted child; he had also worked towards resurrecting the Alamelamma temple, originally built by his ancestor Raja Wadiyar.

The 27th and current Custodian of the Royal House of Mysore, Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, was formally adopted by Srikantadatta’s wife, Queen Pramoda Devi, after his death. 

It’s a strenuous walk doing the parkirama of the five Shiva shrines and exploring the other temples which have been rescued from the dunes. It’s made navigating your pathway through the hot sands a tad more difficult. But the rewards of your explorations more than make up for these small discomforts. 

End your tour of Talakadu with a breezy ride on the Kaveri in a traditional saucer-shaped bamboo coracle (parisal) skillfully maneuvered by the local boatmen.