MALAKHEDA (maLakhEDa) (ªÀļÀSÉÃqÀ)

Malakheda is now a small village in the Sedam talluk of Gulbarga district, languishing on the banks of Kagini ( kAgiNA) river. But it can boast of a hoary past. It was known earlier as ‘Manyakheta’ (mAnyaKETa) and was the capital city of the famous Rashtrakuta dynasty for almost two centuries. The cluster of villages in and around Malakheda such as Dandoti, (danDOti) Sedam (sEDam) and Neelahalli (nIlahaLLi) were the seats of the army, official head quarters and the treasury respectively. The construction of the city began during the regime of Mummadi Govinda (793-814) and reached its culmination when Amoghavarsha Nrupatunga was the emperor. Krishna-3, Mummadi Indra, Amoghavarsha-2, Govinda-4, Amoghavarsha-3 and Krishn-3 were some of the emperors who ruled their kingdom from Manyakheta.

The city was invaded by the Immadi Harsha of Paramara dynasty at Malava and it was virtually destroyed. Chalukya kings shifted the capital to Kalyana. A Muslim chieftain who took over the command of Manyakheta after a few centuries was responsible for the building of a huge and strong fort which is known as Muzzafar Kila even to this day.

Malakhed was a strong seat of Jainism. A Jaina temple (basadi) called Neminatha Jinalaya possibly belonging to the Rashtrakuta period bears witness to that fact. Many idols of Jain deities such as Sarasvathi, Dharanendra, Padmavathi and a few Yakshas are to be found in this temple. The idols include Tirthankaras, choubisi (24 tirthankaras) and Nandishwar dvipa. There is a famous panchdhatu shrine with 96 images.

During the rule of Vijayanagara emperors Malakheda was a religious center favoured by the Madhva seers such as Akhobyateertha and Jayateertha. The Uttaradi Matha of the Dwaita School of philosophy of Madhvacharya is housed in Malakhed. The remains of one of its most prominent saints, Sri Jayatirtha are buried in a Brindavana here. He was a commentator of the celebrated "aNuvyakhyana" of Madhvacharya which itself is a commentary upon the "Brahma Sutras". For this commentary called Nyaya Sudha, he is popularly known as Teekacharya.

It saddens one to know that the city which was home for great emperors and great poets such as Pampa, Ponna and Ranna is now such a hamlet.

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