The historical Amritmahal Kaval near Ajjampur in Tarikere taluk, where a special breed of cattle is raised, is in a state of neglect, thanks to encroachments and the apathy of officials and the government.
The grazing land that used to be spread over 13 centres at Parvatharayanakere and Emmedoddi, has now shrunk to a single centre of a mere 7,094 acres due to extensive encroachment. These lands at the Ajjampur Kaval are now home to 317 cattle, the last remnants of the famous Amritmahal strain. The market rate for these bulls are about `1 lakh each. But the lands that were set aside for this strain by generations of rulers have now been eaten away.
Even the existing is at stake. Activist Shivananda Ajjampur told Express: “We prevented the kaval from being handed over to Ramachadrapur Mutt. The government should take all possible steps to revive the old glory of the kaval.” The Amritmahal Kavals were set up during the Vijayanagar empire. Originally three distinct varieties of cattle — Hallikar, Hagalvadi and Chitaldroog — were bred here.
History has it that the Mysore Wadiyars, Nawab Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, the Britishers, the Madras and Mysore Commissionerates, as well as the succeeding state governments nursed and patronised this breeding centre since its inception in 1617.
The kavals have staked their claim to a place in history: the milk and butter from this region were so plentiful that this region was called ‘Benne Chavadi’. The Wadiyars reportedly loved the butter from here so much that when the Mysore Palace, built using sandalwood, caught fire, the huge stock of butter piled inside, fuelled the flames.
Strong bulls raised here were used by Nawab Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan for carrying ammunition into the battlefield. But the present state of the place tells a very different tale. What could have become a research centre for veterinary and agriculture students has been left to fend for itself. The sight of the small herd of cattle in a tiny open enclosure is heart-wrenching.