Like everyone else, my visit to the Ayyanakere Lake was driven by the promise of the golden hour glow. But I left with a story the local people tell – the sacrifice of two men, Honna Billa and Channa Billa, to save the village at the lake shore. It’s a tale that blurs the line between history and myth, a piece of local lore I had woven together with my own imagination and the scant facts I could find.
Two friends and a legend
Honna asked, “Channa, what is it in the water?”
Channa already noticed that, and was not ready to pay more attention to it now, “Ēriḷita (ripple), Sahōdara (brother)”, and became busy with what he was doing. Being a cowherd, Channa was more worried about keeping track of his cows and buffaloes, which were busy grazing through the grasslands around the lake.
“Ēriḷita – just a ripple”?, Honna was not convinced. He was a waterman, and he sensed something was happening inside the water. A ripple could not last so long.
And if that was not a ripple, and Jagadguru forbid, if something happened, he would be held accountable. Honna remembered the day when Raya took him to the Sringeri Mandir and made him vow in front of Maa Sharada that he would look after the lake. “You have to take care of the water, Honna Billa. Lives of too many people depend on it.”, Raya said.
Raya was a powerful man. He gifted a rich and fertile land to his youngest daughter as dowry, and the land henceforth became known as ‘Chikmagalur’ (the land of the younger daughter). But it was not just Rukmangada Raya, or simply Raya, who was the chief of his village, Sakrepatna, and he had to obey him. It was more than that.
Among many things that Raya did for his village, building the Ayyanakere Lake was probably the reason Honna admired and loved the chief above everything else. The lake solved the water crisis of the agricultural fields and supported the livelihoods of 20 villages like his own. Honna felt immensely proud when he came to know that he was given the responsibility to take care of one of the largest man-made lakes in the world. How could he refuse?
The Shakunagiri mountain cast its shadow on the lake as the sun was setting behind it. The day was slowly receding to welcome the starry night. Honna said, “Something is not right, Channa. You go home. I will be here till Candrōdaya.”
Channa now felt surprised, “You stay here till moon rise? Why?”
Honna did not reply. Channa waited for his response for some time, and then said, “I can’t leave you here alone, Sahōdara.”
Honna did not look at him. He was still looking at the waterbody, where the water had turned blood-red to match the evening sky above. Honna felt something terrible, something bloody was about to happen, and as the watcher of the waterbody, he needed to protect it; he needed to be here.
As the darkness engulfed the sky and the moon appeared with its full glory, Channa came and sat beside Honna. “What are you thinking, Sahōdara?”
“Didn’t you go home?” Honna now noticed Channa’s presence for the first time since he saw that ripple in the middle of the water.
“No”, said Channa, “Have you noticed the ripple getting bigger as the moon is rising in the sky?”
Honna did not notice that before. But Channa was right; something was happening under the water in synchrony with the moon.
The two friends sat silently, looking at the water, as the moon continued its upward journey in the dark sky. The crickets made their presence clear from the surrounding hills.
“Sahōdara, let’s go home. Nothing is going to…”, Channa could not finish his word as the ripple suddenly changed to big waves in a usually calm lake, and one female figure appeared in front of them.
“Devi Dhārī”, the two men bowed together as soon as their initial surprise subsided. They were clueless about why Devi Dhārī, the goddess of floods, appeared before them.
Soon their confusion turned into concern as Devi spoke, “Honna and Channa, today I am here for a special purpose. Your chief, Raya, has built the lake but decided not to offer prayers to me. He offered prayer and built a temple for Jal Devi, but for me? Nothing. So, I have decided to teach him a lesson, show him what I am capable of. I will inundate all villages surrounding this lake, including Raya’s village. One act, and people will remember me forever, bow their heads in front of me, offer me the prayer and respect that I deserve. You two are nice people, but natural disasters do not spare even the good-hearted people.”
Honna and Channa were awestruck. How could a goddess take the lives of so many people, just because one person refused to submit to her power?
“Devi”, Honna said, “Too many people are dependent on this lake. What is their fault in this? Why should they suffer?”
“People often suffer for the deeds of their king.” Devi said, “Besides, these discussions are futile now. Today is the first full moon after the lake has been built, and I have decided to inundate the lake surroundings on the very first night.”
Channa was silent. He started to realize that neither Honna nor he was educated enough to continue this conversation and dissuade Devi from her plan. He said, “Devi, can you not give us one more chance to rectify our mistake?”
“What chance?” Devi asked.
“We are not educated people, Devi. Please let us talk to the priests in the village.”, Channa said.
“We will also convince Raya.”, Honna added. He was getting a sense of what Channa was doing. Channa was buying time to think about what to do. He thanked Jagadguru that Channa was with him now.
Devi asked, “And if they still refuse?”
“We are at your mercy, Devi. Please let us try once.”, Honna and Channa told together.
“Ok, try. I will not do anything until you return.”, Devi agreed.
“Please give us your words, Devi.”, Honna said, “Assure us that you would not do anything while we were gone.”
Devi laughed, “You two are really ignorant. Don’t you know that our words are promises enough? I will not do anything until I see you. But remember, if you do not come back, I will act according to my wish. I expect to see you soon at the gate of the lake.”
“We are ignorant, truly.” The two men hurried away. They did not have much time.
They walked on the road leading from the lake to the village. Both were silent, busy in their own thoughts. Channa spoke first, “What do you think, Sahōdara?”
Honna looked at Channa’s face, “Raya will not agree, and the priests will not go against Raya’s wish.”
“I agree with you”, Channa said, “What will we do?”
Honna thought for some time, and then said, “Ok, I have a plan. Let’s find out what Devi said, word by word.”
Channa sensed that something was brewing inside Honna’s head. He said, “We go to the village, talk to the educated people, and come back with their decision. Devi will wait till we return from the village.”
“And if we do not return?” Honna asked.
“She will inundate the villages. So we can’t just vanish.”, Channa replied.
“Correct, but what if we go, but do not tell her anything?”
“As she promised, she will wait for our answer.”, Channa said.
“Correct again, and we will not answer. We will prolong her wait.”
“But it is impossible to stand silent in front of her question. You know their powers, right? For how long can we resist?” Channa was not sure he was following the conversation properly.
Honna’s next words cleared all his doubts. Honna said, “For eternity”.
Channa startled. He searched for signs of amusement or anxiety in Honna’s face, but could find nothing.
“Do you know what you are suggesting?” Channa asked.
“Yes, absolutely. There is no way other than this.”, Honna said.
Channa fell silent for a moment, absorbing what Honna had just proposed. What he said next came out with determination. “I will also stay with you, Sahōdara. We will do this together.”
Being his childhood friend, Honna knew that Channa could not be dissuaded from his decision. He did not even ask how they would do it. The two friends stood up, checked their aruvals (a type of long sickle with a knife-like scythe handle used as a tool and a weapon), and started walking toward the gate, as if they knew what to do next.
As they became closer to the gate, they could see the goddess waiting for them, just in the middle of the silvery lake. They stood in front of her. Devi asked, “So, what happened? What did Raya tell?”
The two friends stood silent, motionless. Devi asked again.
Then they stabbed one another — once, then again, again, and again. They kneeled in front of her, their blood touched her feet. The moonlit water near the shore became crimson red.
The night witnessed all these, smirked, and eventually passed the baton to the day. The two friends were found the next morning, lying side by side along the lake shore, dead.
Separating facts from fiction
I was looking for popular tourist places in and around Chikmagalur, as I was travelling to my sister’s home in January 2023. She was settled there at that time with her husband. Chikmagalur, also known as the ‘Coffee town’ of India, is famous as a weekend destination from Bengaluru. The town has much to offer – peaks of Baba Budangiri, some majestic waterfalls like Hebbe, and dense jungles like the Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary.
The name of the Ayyanakere lake came up in every search result, as the lake is famous for its stunning sunset view. In a few of these search results, I came across the above legend, with which I blended my imagination and some facts to develop the above piece. While visiting the Ayyanakere lake, I found the pavilion (mantapa or mandapa), dedicated to Honna Billa and Channa Billa, at the lakeside. The local villagers believe that the two men had beheaded themselves to save their villages from inundation.
But standing there, watching the sun dip below the horizon and set the water ablaze, the legend didn’t feel like a mere story. The brilliant crimson of the sky seemed to echo their sacrifice, transforming the stunning sunset from a simple natural spectacle into something deeply spiritual. Ayyanakere Lake is more than a pretty picture; it’s a place where the water holds a memory, and every sunset feels like a tribute.
Moving out of the legend, let me quickly identify the five facts from the above piece:
- Chikmagalur literally means ‘the land of the younger daughter’. Rukmangada Raya, chief of the village Sakrepatna, gifted a rich and fertile land to his youngest daughter as dowry, and the land henceforth became known as ‘Chikmagalur’.
- Sringeri Mandir, also known as Dakshinamnaya Sharada Peetham, is one of the most famous temples in Chikmagalur. The Goddess Sharada, or the Goddess of Knowledge, is worshipped at the temple. Here, people offer prayers to Jagadguru, the teacher of the world.
- Ayyanakere Lake is the second-largest man-made lake in Karnataka and the largest in the Chikmagalur district. Rukmangada Raya built this lake with the help of the Hoysala ruler Narasimha I to address the water crisis of the agricultural fields.
- The Shakunagiri hill rises to about 4,600 ft. This conical-shaped hill forms a picturesque backdrop for the lake.
- Natural disasters are often linked with gods and goddesses. For example, in the Greek mythology, Poseidon is depicted as the ‘God of Natural Disaster’, as he expresses his rage in the forms of floods and earthquakes. In India, Devi Dhārī has been regarded as the goddess of floods. Devi Dhārī was thought to be an avatar of Goddess Durga and originated from the Garhwal Himalaya.
Visiting Ayyanakere Lake
Due to a lack of publicity and tourist facilities, Ayyanakere Lake is still missing from the itinerary of many tourists visiting Chikmagalur. Here are some guiding tips:
Best time to visit: I visited the lake at sunset. And believe me, you should not miss this time to be at the lake shore. The intersection between afternoon and evening creates a magical and picturesque landscape of the lake.
How to visit: Ayyanakere Lake is 20 km north of Chikmagalur, on the way to Kadur. There is also a railway station at Kadur. The nearest town (six km) is Sakrepatna. One can hire a cab or an auto rickshaw from Chikmagalur town to reach the lake. Or if you hire a cab for Chikmagalur sightseeing, simply keep the lake in your itinerary. There is no entry fee.
What to see: The Peaceful ambience of the place is the main attraction. The huge lake with its calm water and surrounding densely forested green hills makes it more beautiful. The Shakunagiri hill overlooking the lake is a trekking destination. There is a Shiva temple on the banks of the lake, where you must admire the sculptures. And of course, do not miss the weathered pavilion standing silently by the lake — the shrine of Honna and Channa.
