Onake Obavva

Context: Onake Obavva died fighting the troops of Hyder Ali when he invaded the Chitradurga Fort, which was ruled by Madakari Nayaka in the 18th century.
‘Onake Obavva Jayanti’

• From 2021, the Karnataka government has decided to celebrate ‘Onake Obavva Jayanti’ on November 11 throughout the state. 
• A state-sponsored celebration of the birth anniversary of Onake Obavva.
• A woman warrior who fought the forces of Hyder Ali single-handedly with a pestle (‘onake’ in Kannada) in Chitradurga in the 18th century.

About Onake Obavva

• Obavva is considered to be the epitome of Kannada pride.
• She was the wife of soldier Kahale Mudda Hanuma, who was the guard of the fort.
• She died fighting the troops of Hyder Ali who was a ruler of the Mysore Kingdom and father of Tipu Sultan. 
• Chitradurga Fort, locally known as Elusuttina Kote, (the fort of seven circles in Kannada), situated 200 km northwest of Bengaluru.

She is celebrated along with other women warriors of Karnataka state like 

• Abbakka Rani : First Tuluva Queen of Ullal in coastal Karnataka who fought the Portuguese, 
• Keladi Chennamma: The queen of the Keladi Kingdom who is known for fighting against Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. 
• Kittur Chennamma: Queen of Kittur is known for the 1824 revolt against the British East India Company.

Obavva’s legacy in Karnataka

• Onake Obavva’s courage and quick thinking have been praised by many.
• A stadium is named after her in the Chitradurga fort . 
• Her sculpture is installed by the government near the district commissioner’s office in Chitradurga. 
• The hole through which Hyder Ali’s soldiers entered is called ‘Onake Obavvana Kindi’ (kindi means hole in Kannada) and 
• has become a tourist spot along with the Chitradurga Fort.