Indian Antiquary Vol 11

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 98

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[MARCE, 1882.
LEGEND OF BHADRÂCHELLAM,
BY GORDON MACKENZIE, M.C.S., GUNTUR, The town of Bezwada, situated on the river Taluk, which includes the village of Bhadra. Krishna, about fifty miles from the sea, is now chellam on the Godavari, one of the halting known chiefly as the scene of the triumphs of places of Rama, Sita and Lakshmana in their modern engineering skill. Across the mighty wanderings. The hut in which they lived river from the summit of one hill to the other there is still pointed out under the name of stretches, not the toranam of Hindu legend, Parna Sålu. This Gopanna being an ardent but the double telegraph wire which connects votary of Ráma, assumed the name of Ramdas, Madras and Calcutta, and this is said to and set to work to improve the temple be the longest span of wire as yet erected in of Rama at Bhadrâchellam, using freely the any country. Athwart the mighty river lies public money that came into his hands. This the massive ánikat or dain which diverts the expenditure passed unchecked for a series of fertilizing waters into an endless network of years, until it amounted to some lacs of rupees, irrigation canals, and this dam does not curb a but a time of reckoning must come even for a puny mill-race, but this noble river, which, when Divân's nephew, and at last Rimdas found in flood, carries a volume of water past Bezwada himself called to account and thrown into & in one hour, equal to that carried by the Clyde dungeon. In this strait he poured forth his past Glasgow in a year. Notwithstanding these supplications to Ráma, who took pity upon the evidences of nineteenth century progress, the hapless prisoner. The monarch lay wrapped legend and the ballad are not yet extinct among in slumber in the palace at Haidarâbâd, when the people.
to him entered two soldiers bearing an immense Sultan Abdul Hassan Padishah, the last of weight of treasure. They poured the coins on the Kutb Shah dynasty, ascended the throne the floor, and requested the astonished king to of Golkonda in 1670. Liberal and tolerant in write out a release for the defalcations of his ideas, he entrusted the administration of Gopanna. Abdul Hassan, bewildered, turned his dominions to two singularly able Brahmans, to find writing materials, but the two peons Akbana and Madana Pantulu, whose energy and had vanished. He thought it was a dream, but ability kept the king free from foreign foe or when day broke the money was there on the domestic discord. These two ministers held ground, and on being counted was the exact their kacheri at Bezwada and the spot where, amount of the deficiency for which Gopanna at the foot of the present telegraph hill, food was responsible. Then the king knew that it was issued every day to a crowd of applicants was Râma and Lakshmana who had brought of all castes, is still fondly pointed out by the the money, sent orders to release Ramdás, and mendicant laudator temporis acti. They were allotted for the support of the temple at Bhaboth fervent votaries of the goddess Kanaka drachellam the revenues of several villages Darga, and the impetus then given to her cult which the temple holds to this day. This still exists, for it is only four years ago that history is told in a printed book of ballads some merchants of Kakinada erected a chattram entitled Rámdás Khaidu (Imprisonment of (serai) for the accommodation of pilgrims to her Ramdas), which are sung by many devout shrine.
Hindus with much feeling. Especially do they Such was the impression made on the popu. admire the pathos of the verses in which lace by these two ministers that the legend still Ramdas bewails his wretched captivity. is current that from the caves on the telegraph In 1686 the Emperor Aurangzib, with most hill at Bezwada runs a subterranean passage to perfidious treachery, took Golkonda, and extinHaidarabad, by which passage they could pro- guished the Kutb Shah line. Madana Pantulu ceed to court, receive the king's instructions, was slain, and the deposed king, Abdul Hassan, and return in one day to Bêzwada.
"bore his misfortunes with a dignity and resignaMadana Pantulu had a nephew, Gopanna, tion that has endeared his memory to his subjects who was appointed Peshkâr of the Kammamett and their descendants even to this day!"
* Elphinstone's History, p. 652.
• Elphinstone's History, p. 653.