Saturday, April 15, 2017

#AtoZChallenge Inspiring Indian Women O for Onake Obavva - a toast of history

Onake Obavva-  An Ordinary woman who displayed extraordinary courage

Onake Obavva (18th Century) was a woman who fought the forces of Hyder Ali single-handedly with a pestle (Onake) in the kingdom of Chitradurga of Karnataka, India. Her husband was a guard of a watchtower in the rocky fort of Chitradurga.

Image result for onake obavva

In the state of Karnataka, she is celebrated along with Abbakka Rani, Keladi Chennamma and Kittur Chennamma, as the foremost women warriors and patriots

During the reign of Madakari Nayaka, the city of Chitradurga was besieged by the troops of Hyder Ali (1754-1779). A chance sighting of a man entering the Chitradurga fort through a hole in the rocks led to a plan by Hyder Ali to send his soldiers through that hole. 


The Guard (Kahale Mudda Hanuma, who was on duty near that hole) had gone home to have his lunch. During his meal he needed some water to drink, so his wife Obavva went to collect water in a pot from a pond which was near the hole in the rocks, halfway up the hill.She noticed the army trying to enter the fort through the hole. 

She used the Onake or pestle (a wooden long club meant for pounding paddy grains) to kill the soldiers one by one by hitting them on the head and then quietly moving the dead without raising the suspicions of the rest of the troops. 

Mudda Hanuma, Obavva's husband, returned from lunch, was shocked to see Obavva standing with a blood stained Onake and several of the enemies' dead bodies around her. Later, the same day, she was found dead either due to shock or having been killed by the enemy soldiers.[1] She belonged to the Holayas (Chalavadi) community.Though her brave attempt saved the fort this time, Madakari could not resist the attack by Hyder Ali during 1779, when the fort of Chitradurga was lost to Hyder Ali
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She is considered to be the epitome of Kannada female pride. The hole through which Hyder Ali's soldiers sneaked is called Onake Obavvana Kindi (kindi=hole) or Onake kindi.Her heroic effort is depicted in a famous song-sequence in Nagarahavu picture directed by Puttanna Kanagal. The sports stadium in Chitradurga - Veera Vanithe Onake Obavva Stadium, is named after her.

References:
https://www.shortstories.co.in/onake-obavva/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onake_Obavva
https://yourstory.com/2015/08/herstory-flashback-onake-obavva/
http://www.rejectedprincesses.com/princesses/onake-obavva

 

NAPOWRIMO2017: Day 15: Kannadasan - Buddhi Ulla Manidhnellam....English Translation

Buddhiyulla

Buddhi ulla manidhnellam vetri nkanbadhillai
Vetri petra manidharellam buddhisali illai

Intelligent people don’t always become successful
All those who succeed are not necessarily intelligent

Panamirukkum manidharidam gumanamiruppadhillai
Gunamairukkum manidharidam panamiruppadhillai
Panamirukkum veetinela vandhadhellamsondham
Panamilladha veeetinile sondham ellam …

The rich are not generous
The generous are not rich
A rich man has many relatives
The poor, none

Kanavu kaanum manidhanuku
Kanbadhellam kanavu
Avan kaanuginra kanavinile
Varuvadhellam uravu
Avan kanavil aval varuval
Avanai paarthu sirppal
Aval kanavil yaar varuvar
Yaarai paarthu azhaippar?

For a day-dreamer
Everything he sees is a dream
In his dream all that comes is relationship (sexual fantasies I think)
In his dream, she will come
And smile at him
In her dream, who’ll come
And call whom?