Akka Tangi Kola, Melukote

After Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple we were in doubt whether to go to Yoganarasimha Temple now or later. Near the vehicle parking we noticed a sign saying way to Akka Tangi Kola and Rayagopura. It was easy to agree upon Rayagopura. While walking we talked among ourselves what this Akka Tangi Kola is? We knew it is a pond because in Kannada kola means pond. In a few moments Akka Tangi Kola showed up and what a show it was. These magnificent twin ponds were nothing like we have seen anywhere else.

 

By this time sun was harsh and we were quick to find a shade on the steps of one pond with a small temple behind us. A prewedding shoot was in full swing. Small group accompanying the couple was making a lot of noise teasing and taunting them on their cinematic poses. Our conversation oscillated between rage of prewedding shoot, drone cameras, and film making in general. Topic of drone cameras came up because we could not capture both the ponds completely. The perfect shot can be attained only by an aerial angle. Our next best option was to get it from Rayagopura which is situated further upward.

Akka means elder sister and tangi means younger sister in Kannada. Legend has it one of the sisters eagerly wanted to build the water tank while other one engaged in protestingly. So it happened the pond built by the sister who put her heart and soul into it is crystal clear and the water is consumed for drinking; whilst the pool created by reluctant sister is little bit muddy, little bit soggy and water is used for menial purposes like washing clothes, doing dishes, and on that line. We were unable to see this difference; however, there was an old man instructing people not to wash or splash water in one particular pond. So we deduced that pond must be the purest one. Our culture has so many legends and folklore that amuses us to no end. The exact period of these beautiful ponds are not known but considering the historic nature of this temple town it surely must be several hundred years old.

In some time we slowly started moving towards Rayagopura which is another 10 minutes uphill. The first thing we did was to try and find a way to get the ideal shot from up above. Sadly, thorny bushes covered the entire area that made it an impossible task. However, that didn't make our experience of spending time on those step-wells damp or dull. Since we are here in Rayagopura right now we should continue with that we guess.