Haleri
Haleri kings(kingdom) are the rulers who ruled kodagu region for over 200 years between 1600-1834 A.D.The kingdom is named after a place called Haleri near Madikeri which they made as their capital.The haleri kings were devout Lingayats.[1] Their origin is traced to Veeraraja, a nephew of Sadashiva Nayaka of Ikkeri dynasty.
Legacy
The present day Madikeri was formerly known as Muddu raja keri which means Mudduraja's town, was named after the prominent Haleri king, Mudduraja who ruled Kodagu from 1633-1687. The present day Virajpet derived from Virarajendrapete was the town established by Haleri king Dodda Veerarajendra,after whose name the city derives its name.[2] Chikka Virarajendra,the last ruler of Kodagu was from the Haleri Kingdom.The famous Kannada litterateur and Jnanpith Award recipient, Masti Venkatesha Iyengar, wrote a critically acclaimed book, Chikavira Rajendra, based on the life and times of that ruler. The book is widely noted for its balanced handling of the subject; it neither comprises a litany of the supposed misdeeds of the protagonist, nor emerges as a tract against the British. The book is redolent with the culture and ethos of its milieu, being Kodagu in the mid-19th century.
King Dodda Veerarajendra built the famous Nalknad Palace.