Kalyatanda Ponnappa

Ponnappa was born in the Kalyatanda (aka Kaliatanda) family as the son of Kuttayya of Naalnaad (Nalknad). Ponnappa's parents were ardent devotees of Igguthappa. == Career ==

Skirmishes Ponnappa became the most powerful man in Naalnaad (Nalknad) and its chosen leader as well. He led the region in battles against neighbouring lords. He fought with many powerful men and killed several of them. The Raja gave Ponnappa his gun, sword and a privy army of 500 guards. Karnayya wanted to befriend Ponnappa and make him an ally. Karnayya himself had an army of men carrying matchlocks, swords, bows and arrows. However, Ponnappa refused his friendship (not wishing to betray the Raja) thus insulting Karnayya and making him an enemy. Practise Ponnappa was a practitioner of ritual magic, divination and occult. He was considered to be a sort of warlock or magician, since he was believed to be an expert at wizardry and to be able to perform many miracles. People held him in great awe and claimed that he was to manipulate supernatural beings. He held a practise where devotees came to him with their problems and he solved them. This way he was feared by some and respected in Kodagu. == Death ==

Ponnappa was once poisoned by an old woman, but he managed to survive. Afterwards, he visited his fiancée at her home, the Kuttanjetira house in Beth village. However, his enemies surrounded the place at night and attacked him. The army of body-guards the Raja had provided him were resting at another distant village at that time. Single-handedly he fought and killed a number of the enemies, until he was fatally shot near what would later become the Kacheri (office) of Nalknad taluk. Badly wounded, Ponnappa dragged himself to the Makki temple where he died. It was Karnayya's men who had surrounded Ponnappa and killed him in the darkness. Later, Vira Raja captured Karnayya Bavu and executed him. == Legacy ==

After his death, his spirit was believed to possess many men who displayed the magic arts that he practised. ==References==