Keladi

Keladi, formerly called Ikkeri in some Western sources, is a temple town in Sagara Taluk of the state of Karnataka in India. Keladi is located about 8 km from the town of Sagara.

Quotes

• In the town of Keladi in the Kannada country there was a person named Basava, who had married a woman of the same name and who was a devotee of Siva. The couple had four sons. After the death of Basava and two of his sons, his wife was bringing up the two other sons who were named Chauda and Bhadra, and in due course had their marriages performed. Once when Chauda was attending to the ploughing of his land his ploughshare is said to have come across a large amount of buried treasure. With the aid of the treasure he managed to become a Gramadhipa (headman of a village). He then collected a small company of soldiers. The king of the country, on hearing of this, sent for Chaudappa. Much pleased with him on hearing his story, the king made him governor of Pulladesa with the title Keladi Chaudappa Nayaka. Then Chauda returned to Keladi and, constructing the temple of Ramesvara there, made to it large endowments. He had two sons who were named Sadasiva and Bhadra. Having taught both of them the several sastras and arts, he nominated Sadasiva Nayaka as his successor and died soon after.
  • Account of the founding of the Keladi dynasty in the Śiva Tattva Ratnākara of Basava Raja. Paraphrased by S. Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Sources of Vijayanagar History (1919), p. 194

Travels of Pietro della Valle

The Travels of Sig. Pietro della Valle ... whereunto is added a relation of Sir Thomas Roe's Voyage into the East-Indies (London: J. Macock for Henry Herringman, 1665), pp. 120–123

The Travels of Pietro della Valle in India, Vol. 2 (Hakluyt Society, 1892), pp. 244–271

• 6 November – Two hours before noon we went from Ahinalà, and having travell'd through a Country like the former, but plain, about noon we came to the Town Badra; where, according as Vitulà Sinay had writ to us, we thought to lodge that night, and accordingly had lay'd down our baggage, and withdrawn to a place to rest; but after two hours being there, we found our selves surrounded by abundance of people, (for 'tis a large Town, and they go almost all arm'd) who out of curiosity came to see us; whereupon the Ambassador, either having receiv'd an Answer from Vitulà Sinay, or not caring for a pompous entrance, rais'd us all again; and after a small journey further we arriv'd at Ikkerì, which is the Royal City of Venk-tapà Naieka where he holds his Court; having travell'd since morning from Ahinalà to Ikkerì but two Leagues. This City is seated in a goodly Plain, and, as we enter'd, we pass'd through three Gates with Forts and Ditches, but small, and consequently, three Inclosures; the two first of which were not Walls, but made of very high Indian Canes, very thick and close planted in stead of a Wall, and are strong against Foot and Horse in any, hard to cut, and not in danger of fire; besides, that the Herbs which creep upon them, together with themselves, make a fair and great verdure, and much shadow. The other Inclosure is a Wall, but weak and inconsiderable: But having pass'd these three, we pass'd all. Some say, there are others within, belonging to the Citadel or Fort where the Palace is; for Ikkerì is of good largeness, but the Houses stand thin and are ill built, espe∣cially without the third Inclosure; and most of the situation is taken up in great and long streets, some of them shadow'd with high and very goodly Trees growing in Lakes of Water, of which, there are many large ones, besides Fields set full of Trees, like Groves, so that it seems to consist of a City, Lakes, Fields, and Woods mingled together, and makes a very delightful sight.
  • Letter V. From Ikkerì, 22 November 1623

• 7 November – ... At length the Ambassador being dress'd came forth with the rest, and receiv'd the Visit of Vitulà Sinay, and another great Person sent by the King to accompany him; he was a Moor by Sect, but of Indian Race, very black, and Captain General in these parts of Banghel, from which charge he was lately return'd, and his Name was Musè Baì. With these came also a Son of his, a Youth of the same colour, but of a handsome Face, and cloth'd odly after the Indian Fashion, that is, naked from the girdle upwards, having onely a very thin and variously painted cloth cast cross one Shoulder, and another of the same sort girt about him, and hanging down loose; he had a little Bonnet upon his Head, like those of our Gally-slaves, but wrought with divers colours; his Hands, Arms, Neck, and Nose, were adorn'd with many ornaments of Gold, and he had a guilt Po∣nyard at his girdle, which shew'd very well. His Father was cloth'd all in white, after the manner of India, to wit, of such as wear Clothes, and go not naked from the Waste upwards; upon his white vestment he had a shorter sur-coat of Velvet, guarded with Gold at the bottom, loose and open before, which is the custom onely in solemnities. He had no Sword, but onely a Ponyard on the right side, the hilt and cheap guilded, and, as I believe, of Silver; upon his Head he had a little Cap of the same form, made of Cloth of Gold; for in these Countries 'tis the fashion for Men to cover their Heads either with such Caps, or with white Turbants, little and almost square. Vitulà Sinay and some other personages who came with them to accompany the Ambassador, were all cloth'd with white garments of very fine Silk, and other rich Silken sur-coats upon the same, to honor the solemnity; and upon these they had such colour'd clothes as in Persia they call Scial, and use for girdles, but the Indians wear them cross the shoulders cover'd with a piece of very fine white Silk, so that the colour underneath appears; or else wear white Silk alone. As soon as we came forth of doors, Musè Baì presented to the Ambassador one of these colour'd Skarfs inclos'd in white Silk to wear about his Neck; and the Ambassador gave him a piece of I know not what Cloth, and in the mean time a publick Dancing-Woman whom they had hir'd, danc'd in the presence of us all.
  • Letter V. From Ikkerì, 22 November 1623
  • Gloss: Venk-tapà Naieka = Vekatappa Nayaka · Vitulà Sinay = Vithal Shenoy
  • See also: Lennart Bes, "Sultan among Dutchmen? Royal dress at court audiences in South India, as portrayed in local works of art and Dutch embassy reports, seventeenth–eighteenth centuries", Modern Asian Studies, Vol. 50, No. 6 (2016), p. 1811

• 13 November – ... At night, walking in the City, I saw in the Piazza of the great Temple (which I understood was dedicated to an Idol call'd Agore Scuarà, who, they say, is the same with Mahadeù, although they represent him not in the same shape with that I saw of Mahadeù in Cambaia, but in the shape of a Man, with but one Head and Face, and sixteen Arms on each side (in all thirty two); which is not strange, since our Antients call'd many of their Idols by names sufficiently different, and pourtray'd them in several shapes; and wherein also I understood there was an Idol of Parvetì, who is the Wife of Mahadeù, though the Temple be not dedicated to her): I saw, I say, in the Piazza one of their Fryers or Giangami, clad all in white, sitting in an handsome Palanchino, with two great white Umbrellaes, held over him, one on each side, (which two were for the more gravity) and a Horse led behind, being follow'd by a great train of other Giangami, clad in their ordinary habits. Before the Palanchino, march'd a nu∣merous company of Souldiers, and other people, many Drums and Fifes, two strait long Trumpets, and such brass Timbrels as are us'd in Persia, Bells and divers other Instruments, which sounded as loud as possible, and amongst them was a troop of Dancing-women adorn'd with Girdles, Rings upon their Legs, Neck-laces, and other ornaments of Gold, and with certain Pectorals or Breast-plates, almost round, in the fashion of a Shield, and butting out with a sharp ridg before, embroyder'd with Gold, and stuck either with Jewels or some such things which reflected the Sun-beams with marvellous splendor; as to the rest of their bodies, they were uncover'd, without any Veil or Head-tire. When they came to the Piazza, the Palanchino stood still, and the multitude having made a ring, the Dancing-women fell to dance after their manner, which was much like the Moris-dance of Italy, onely the Dancers sung as they danc'd, which seem'd much better: One of them, who, perhaps, was the Mistress of the rest, danc'd alone by her self, with extravagant and high jump∣ings, but alwayes looking towards the Palanchino: Sometimes she cowr'd down with her hanches almost to the ground, sometimes leaping up she struck them with her Feet backwards, (as Coelius Rhodiginus relates of the ancient dance call'd Bibasi) continually singing and making several gestures with her Hands; but after a barbarous manner, and such as amongst us would not be thought handsome. The Dance being ended, the Palanchino with all the train went forward, the Instruments continually playing before them. I follow'd to see the end, and found that they went into the chief street, and so out of the City by the Gate which leads to Saghèr, stopping in divers places of the street to act the same, or the like dances over again; and particularly, in the Entrance of the said Gate, where, amongst many Trees and Indian Canes which make the City-Wall, there is a small Piazza, very eeven, and shaded about, like a Pastoral Scene, and very handsome. At last the Giangamo with his Palanchino and train, enter'd into certain Gardens without the Gate, where his House stood; and after the last Dance he remain'd there, and the rest went away. They told me, this Honor was done him, because they had then cast water upon his Head, and perform'd some other Ceremony, equivalent to our ordaining one in Sacris, or creating a Doctor. As I was going along the streets to behold this Pomp, I saw many persons come with much devotion to kiss the Feet of all those Giangamoes, who on Foot follow'd the principal Giangamo who was in the Palanchino; and because they were many, and it took up much time to kiss the Feet of them all, therefore when any one came to do it, they stood still all in a rank to give him time; and whilst such persons were kissing them, and for more reverence touching their Feet with their Fore-heads, these Giangamoes stood firm with a seeming severity, and without taking notice of it, as if they had been abstracted from the things of the World; just as our Fryers use to do when any devout persons come out of reverence to kiss their Habit; but with Hypocrisie, conformable to their superstitious Religion.
  Returning home, I met a Corps going to be burn'd without the City, with Drums sounding before it; it was carryed sitting in a Chair, whereunto it was ty'd that it might not fall, cloth'd in its ordinary attire, exactly as if it had been alive. The seat was cover'd behind, and on the sides with red and other colours, I know not whether Silk or no. It was open onely before, and there the dead person was to be seen. By the company, which was small, I conjectur'd him to be one of mean quality. But they told me, All dead people are carry'd thus, as well such as are buried, (as the Lingavani, whom they also put into the Earth sitting) as those that are burn'd; and that he, whom I saw, was to be burn'd, we gather'd from the Fire and Oyle which they carry'd after him in vessels. The night following there was a great solemnity in all the Temples, by lighting of Candles, singing, Musick, dancing, about twenty Dancing-women, who went in Procession with the Idol into the Piazza, dancing before the great Temple; but, as I was told, they began very late, namely, at the rising of the Moon, which was about an hour before mid-night; so that I was gone to bed before I knew of it, although in the Evening I saw the lights in the Temple.
  • Letter V. From Ikkerì, 22 November 1623