Namma Shivamogga

It is indeed amazing how a haloed place - an historical, industrial, pastoral and educational hub rolled into one grand epicentre - can be home to umpteen landmarks and yet happily bear the scenic, small town tag.

Now known the world over for its world famous auto component providers and a thriving golf and leisure sports business, Shimoga is still a tranquil place on the banks of river Tunga, marked by a bustling bazaar, cheerful people, and a rich collage of mandirs and masjids, invariably built adjacent to each other. Scenic waterfalls, majestic hills, dense forests, landmark forts, swaying palms and paddy fields...you find them all in a pivotal region once ruled by the Kadambas, Gangas, Chalukyas, Rastrakutas, Keladi and Vijaynagar Kings.

The very name Shimoga or Shivamogga originates either from Shiva-Mukha: Face of Shiva, Shivana-Moogu: Nose of Shiva, Shivana-Mogge: Flowers to be offered to Shiva, or Sihi-Mogge: sweet pot.

The last mentioned name has some honeyed mythology linked to it. Once upon a time, this place housed the ashram of the great Rishi Durvasa, a sage well known and dreaded for his hot temper. The ashram's staple feature was a boiling pot of sweet herbs. One day, a few inquisitive cowherds gatecrashed into the place, tasted the contents of the pot, and instinctively called the place Sihi- Moge.

Passing through Thirthahalli, the Neolithic archaeological site, I recalled two popular legends:

At the behest of his father Jamadagni, the sage Parashurama beheaded Renuka's head with an axe. He tried to wash the blood stains off the axe by dipping it in various rivers, but a sesame-sized blood stain remained, until he dipped his axe in Tunga near Thirthahalli. From this Parashurama Thirtha, came the name Thirthahalli.

According to a Ramanaya legend, Maricha (in deer form) was killed by Lord Ram near Thirthahalli, at a place which was named Mrugvadhe (killing of a deer)

Key among the offbeat marvels of the district is the Mattur village, also spelt Mathoor, which has a rich tradition of Sanskrit and Vedic studies that continues to this day. The natives speak a language called Sankethi, which is a fine blend of Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada. This tiny village has gifted more than 30 Sanskrit professors to different universities across the state.

Mattur and its twin city Hosahalli are committed patrons of the rare musical story-telling art form called Gamaka. The district also preserves the Chittara art form characterized by awesome geometric patterns, which is religiously practised by the native women to decorate the mud walls of their dwelling huts. Notably, the brush they use is a root fibre, and the colours used are all naturally processed; for instance, ground rice paste creates white, and roasted rice gives birth to black.

In fairly close vicinity of Shimoga is the Sharada Peeta established by Adi Sankara which is reached by traversing a maze of lush green paddy fields, arecanut and coconut groves. Imagine the proximity to a sanctified place where Adi Sankara is believed to have seen a snake protecting a she-frog in labour from the hot sun and, overwhelmed by the sanctity of the place, founded the Sharadamba Temple, the first of the four mutts that he established pan India.

And for all 'Malgudi Days' fans, the British-era Arasalu railway station is a key landmark, a mere 34 km from Shimoga. Here, the Malgudi Museum set up by the Mysuru Division cherishes the genius of Padma Vibhushan Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami (R K Narayan), the iconic Doordarshan serial directed by the maverick 'Auto Raja' actor and screenwriter Shankar Nag as also the terriific actor Manjunath Nayaker who immortalised the serial's lead character 'Swami'. A landscaped garden sports a vintage café called Malgudi Chai, which is thoughtfully shaped like a train coach. The museum artefacts include vessels, artefacts, photographs, and manuscripts etched on the walls.