Relief sculptures installed to memorialize oft forgotten Amara Sullia Revolution of 1837

‎Sullia‎‎: Very few know about India’s struggle for freedom, and even fewer are aware of the contribution of local revolutions to it. One such forgotten piece of history is the Amara Sullia Revolution of 1837. In an effort to raise awareness and as a reminder of the past, relief sculptures chronicling the revolution have come up at the Amai Madiyar Government School in Ubaradka Mithoor Village of Sullia.

To the unversed, almost 20 years before the Sepoy mutiny of 1857 (also known as India’s first struggle for independence) the people of Arebhashe and Tulunadu took up arms in an uprising against the British government. The armed uprising came to be known as Amara Sullia rebellion or Kalyanappana Katakayi of 1837. Freedom fighters came directly from Maduvegadde to Bellare Bungalow and seized the British treasury.

‎The project was undertaken under the aegis of Jnanadhama Charitable Trust, with financial help from locals and donors. A team led by relief artist Mahesh Bayaru of Kasargod created the 10 relief art depictions on top of the initial drawings by artist A K Himakara.

The relief sculpture and drawings were inspired by the book ‘Amara Sullia 1837 Sashastra Horata” (Amara Sullia 1837 Armed Struggle) by K R Vidhyadhara Kudekallu. Interestingly, the ‎Ubaradka Mithoor village happens to be the hometown of Kedambadi Ramayya Gowda, the mastermind of the Amara Sullia rebellion..

 

‎The sculptures shed light on the noteworthy events that transpired during the armed rebellion/revolution in a very simple way. They include – the scene of the expulsion of the  British representative from the palace of Madikeri, the bringing of Puttabasappa to Kedambadi, the construction of an ashram and the conversion of Puttabasappa into Kalyana Swami, the soldiers’ march from Maduvegadde, the capture of Bellare Fort, the execution of Atooru Ramappaiah, hoisting flag after the capture of Mangalore Fort, the hanging of Kalyana Swamy and others, the deportation rebels as exiles.

Damodara Gowda Maduvegadde, who heads the Jnanadhama Charitable Trust, said that the project is an attempt to tell the history of the Amara Sullia Revolution. It will be useful if the government includes the events of Amara Sullia rebellion in school textbooks, he added.‎ ‎