Talakadu is an ancient town on the banks of river Cauvery, famous for Talakadu Panchalinga Darshan and has today become a good weekend getaway from Bangalore. Talakadu story can be traced back to the Ganga kings of 3rd century AD. Talakadu trip is also about a legendary curse from a pious Queen! As per the Talakadu story the Queen’s curse turned the once flourishing town into a desert. The old Talakadu town is buried under a mile of sand. Today Talakadu trip is about pilgrimage and picnics. Talakadu trip from Bangalore is a 3 hours drive. Talakadu trip from Mysore will take only an hour.
Talakadu trip- Route & Talakadu resorts
Talakadu is just 48 kms from Mysore. Most people come to Talakad as a day trip; however one can stay over at the Jaladhama resort which is besides the Cauvery river bank. Several options are available at the resort to explore the River like Coracle, Motor Boat and Water Scooter. Contact no for booking Jaladhama, most famous of Talakadu Resorts is +91 80 41239306. Or visit Jaladhama resort over the cauvery.
A new way to experience India
A novel way to see places around Bangalore is through a guided motorcycle tour. Visit 5 Senses Tours for rides on Harley Davidson, Triumph and Royal Enfield that will stimulate all your senses.
Bangalore to Talakadu
Talakadu trip is a weekend getaway from Bangalore as it is only 130 kms by road. It can be approached either from Mysore highway or via Kanakapura Road. Talakadu route via Mysore highway is Ramanagara-Channapatna-Maddur-Malavalli-Gargur post- Talakadu. Note a left turn needs to be taken from the Mysore Highway after Maddur towards Malavalli.
Talakadu route via Kanakapura is through Hagaluru-Malavalli-Gargur Post-Talakadu
The Talakadu trip should take around 3 hours by road and hence is a convenient weekend getaway from Bangalore.
Homestay Suggestion
For homestays in India where you have a hospitable host and home cooked food, visit India Holiday Ideas.
Talakadu story- The Legendary Curse
The legendary curse is the main plot in the Talakadu story. It all happened due to the following course of events! In the year 1610, Srirangapatnam was under the governance of Srirangaraya, the viceroy of Vijayanagar Empire. The viceroy had taken ill and had come to Talakadu to pray at a temple. His wife, Alemalamma, the Queen was left with the administration of the Kingdom. Concerned about her husband’s health, she too left Srirangapatnam and came to Talakadu. She brought with her priceless jewels which she used to adorn the deity at Sri Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangapatnam. King Wodeyar of neighboring Mysore seized this opportunity and annexed Srirangapatnam. He also wanted the jewels of the Queen and sent his soldiers after her. Meanwhile the Viceroy passes away and a distraught Alemalamma throws herself and the jewels into the River at Talakadu. She uttered 3 curses before drowning.
“May Malangi become a whirlpool, Talakad turn into a desert and the Rajas of Wadiyar not beget male heir”.
What is amazing about Talakadu story is that the curse is true till date! Talakadu is buried under mile deep sand and there has been no male heir to the crown of Mysore ever since.
If you are fascinated by Curses, then you might have heard of Kuldhara. It is a ghost town cursed with death near Jaisalmer. Visit my travelogue on Jaisalmer for details.
What to see during Talakadu Trip
Talakadu also houses a temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The Keertinarayana temple, built using black granite and bricks, is a splendid example of Hoysala style of architecture. The highlight of this temple is the 2 meter tall main deity of the Lord.
Talakadu is one of the few places in India where remote sensing technology is being used to excavate archaeological remains. The evidence till date seems to suggest prevalence of a civilization at Talakad predating Christ. Some of the structures unearthed till now are a long wall six feet deep, canals, drainage pipes, and even a Jain Temple of 7th century.
There are two prominent theories that explain the Talakadu story about the sand dunes, other than the Queen’s Curse that is! One school of thought blames this to an ecological disaster stemming from the construction of a dam in 1336 by Madhav Mantri a minister of the Vijayanagar Empire. This dam caused the sand on the river bed to be exposed to the strong winds that are frequent in Talakadu. Another school of thought blames the plight of Talakadu to a geological fault that runs across the Cauvery here. The theory is that the fault caused the land towards the east to subside, created a pool on the Cauvery’s channel which in turn accumulated salt and silt driven by the string winds. The Talakadu story remains unresolved.
Talakadu trip is also a great weekend getaway near Bangalore. It’s on the banks of River Cauvery. You can take the thrilling coracle ride over the river. Several varieties of birds like Kingfishers, Egrets, Storks and Cormorant can be spotted during this ride.
A good way to spend a weekend would be to come to Talakadu, take a walk on the mysterious sand here and ponder over the mysteries buried under your feet!
The best way to experience Talakad is through a guided tour of Talakad from Bangalore. Visit 5 Senses Tours.
You can also visit Melkote, an amazing temple not far from Talakadu.
A fun way to explore Mysore is to ride in a Harley, Triumph or Royal Enfield in a guided motorcycle tour organized by 5 Senses Tours. There are 2 tours offered from Bangalore to Mysore. Check Organic Farming & Heritage Trail and Royal and Cultural Heritage Trail.
A Discovery
The best time to visit Talakadu is during the Talakadu Panchalinga Darshan, a fair held once is 12 years to honour the five Shiva temples. The next one is due in 2018. It is usually scheduled on the new moon day of Kartika month (Nov/Dec).
For a travelogue on Jaladhama Island in Talakadu, visit here.