8 trees axed for silly reasons!

8 trees beside Bangalore-Mysore National Higway were axed by the Ramanagara District Forest Department for silly reasons. The trees were in front of the huge building coming up opposite to Ghousia Collage of Engineering where the district administraion office will be housed is nearing completion. The Public Works Department (PWD) engineer who is supervising the construction work felt that the beauty of the building (the elevation resembles Vidhana Soudha of Bengaluru) was not in the full gaze of the travelling public on Bangalore-Mysore Highway. Hence, he wrote to the forest department to cut down the trees! But in the request to the forest department he has written that the trees in the future might break down the compound wall! The reason is stupid as the gap between the compound wall and the trees are atleast 6 feet. The trees which were 10 to 15 years old would not have done any harm for another 30 years. The forest officials DCF & RCF without bothering to study the implications of the trees, have blindly signed the order to axe the trees. It is pity that the District Commissioner nor any official of the district administration have bothered to save the trees.
While reacting to the press, Vice President of Karnataka State Farmers Association has said it is sad that officials without valid reasons have felled trees. He said the forest department has hurt the nature loving public and  Salumarada Timmakka who hails from this district is known world wide for growing more than hundred trees in Magadi Taluk.

Is it Hiriya Kempegowda's grave?

Tomb said to be of  Hiriya Kempegowda,
the founder of Bengaluru

     Very recently at Kempapura village in Magadi Taluk, a tomb said to be of  Magadi Kempegowda was discovered. Few historians and archaeologists who visited the spot have opined it as the tomb of Hiriya Kempegowda the founder of Bengaluru. But a convincing confirmation has not been officially announced by the Government yet.
     The Kannada inscription on the tomb says it is that of Hiriya Kempegowda or Kempegowda I who died at the spot after a quarrel (jagala in kannada) while returning from Kunigal.  Despite much information about Kempegowda I and his contribution to the growth of Bengaluru, historians were unable to locate his tomb till now. The tomb was accidentally found by one Mr.Prashanth Marur when he visited Kempapura village. The tomb was covered with shrubs and weeds, but its resemblance with  the Kempegowda Towers at Bengaluru drew his attention. Till then no one had any clue about the historical importance of the tomb, though the few senior citizens in the village say that their grand parents had told them that the tomb was of Magadi Kempegowda.

Inscription in Kannada on the tomb

Historians who visited the spot have confirmed the script in the inscription date backs to the period of Hiriya Kempegowda but a thorough and detailed research is needed they have said. If the tomb is confirmed to be that of Kempegowda the founder of Bengaluru, the Government of Karanataka and Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) should jointly take a up a project to develop it as a memorial for the builder of Bengaluru.