Temples of Talakadu - Karnataka
The devotees of Alamelu/Alamelamma and many historians believe in the story of greed and the power of curse that led to the present condition of Talakadu. The story is that, during 16th century the King Sri Ranga Raya, the ruler of Srirangapatna and an heir of Vijayanagara kingdom was a victim of an incurable disease. Hence the ruler undertook a pilgrimage to Talakadu hoping to be cured of his affliction. In order to make this journey, the ruler handed over the reins to his second wife Alamelu. Later when she heard the news that her husband is on deathbed and possibly could never return back to his capital, she decided to visit him during his last few days.
Alamelamma being a devotee of Sri Ranga Nayaki, the consort of Sri Ranganatha of Srirangapatna temple used to send all her jewels once in a year to Sri Ranga Nayaki to adorn with those jewels. Later the jewels would be returned to Alamelamma. During the time of her husband’s illness she further handed over the kingdom over to the Mysore Maharaja, Raja Wadiyar. Ever since the dynasty was retained by Mysore Maharajas. It appears that once Raja Wadiyar desired to possess the jewels that were the property of Rani given for adorning the Goddess of Srirangapatna. Thus he being unable to obtain them and was eager to seize them at any pretext, he levied his army and proceeded against Rani. Meanwhile Sri Ranga Raya was dead and the widow Alamelamma was harassed. Thus Alamelamma thereupon sent her nose ring to Sri Ranga Nayaki and jumped into the river Cauvery at a place called Malangi, keeping rest of her jewels tied up in a cloth.
It is said that Alamelamma while she was drowning in river uttered a curse as ‘Let Talakadu be covered by sand, let Malangi become a whirlpool and the Mysore Wadiyars fail to beget heirs. From then it is believed that once the fertile land of Talakadu became desert like town and got covered by sand, the river Cauvery at that particular point suddenly developed the whirlpool and the Mysore royal family got affected to beget heirs.
