Virajpet
Virajpet, 32 km from Madikeri, is a taluk headquarters. The town, situated at the foot of a hill, is well connected by road with coastal Kerala towns like Kannur and Tellicherry. Virajpet was built in 1792 A.D. by the Kodagu Raja, Dodda Veerarajendra, on the site where he met the British Governor Robert Abercromby in 1791. The Governor requested the Kodagu Raja to provide passage for moving the British troops from Bombay via Tellicherry through Coorg, on their way to Srirangapatna to fight Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan.
Dodda Veerarajendra invited craftsmen and traders from neighbouring states to settle down in the town. Even to this day, some of the street names include Telugu Street, Bengali Street and Jain Street.
The Clock Tower is the most visible landmark of Virajpet, erected in 1914 to commemorate the Delhi Durbar of King George V. A local coffee planter, Mukkatira Aiyappa, took a prominent part in the construction of the tower.
Another important landmark of Virajpet is St. Anne's Church built in the Gothic style. Some of the Christians from Mangalore, who were forcibly taken by Tipu Sultan to Periapatna and converted to Islam, had managed to escape. They were offered refuge by Dodda Veerarajendra at Virajpet. The Raja ordered the building of a church in 1792 and granted land and funds for the construction. In 1868, the structure was dismantled and in its place the existing church was built.
Dodda Veerarajendra gifted a gold crown, a brass lamp, and an ornamental brass box to the church. Only the brass lamp, known locally as 'kuthu bolucha', is still in the church. The inscription 'V' in Kannada for Veerarajendra and the words – 'Nalaknad Aramane' are etched on the lamp.
No comments:
Post a Comment