The former Vice President of India Venkaiah Naidu initially refused to write the foreword but after reading the book, he readily agreed.

■  The book has become a reference point for research scholars

■  The book is slated to be a part of IIIrd semester in Sri Krishnadevaraya University

The title of the work ‘Nagaladevi Srikrishnadevarayala Prema Kadha’ by veteran film journalist G. Bhageeradha could easily have been Nagaladevi, the unsung hero of Vijayanagara Empire for the book unravels the many facets of a woman who was ahead of her time with a personality of her own.

Speaking on how he chanced upon the idea of writing a book on one of the four wives of Srikrishnadevaraya, Bhageeradha says, “It was in 2007. I was the project coordinator for Jagapati Babu’s film Swagatham and we had to visit Hampi to decide on the location. It was life changing experience after seeing the destruction. I could imagine how wonderful the place would have been in its prime and I was consumed by the idea of working on the book.”

He further adds, “I at times feel, Nagaladevi made me write this book as there was an energy and enthusiasm that emanated from nowhere which propelled me to travel to the National Library in New Delhi, Mumbai National Museum, Madras Connemara Library, Madras Archives to Mysuru, Bengaluru and Goa sourcing for material.

There is hardly any material on Nagaladevi on the internet and even less in history books and I felt she deserves a place in history for she stood like a rock behind Sri Krishnadevaraya in times of war and at one point of time even strode on the horse Virupaksha (given as a gift by the Portuguese) and led the warfront. She was Sri Krishnadevaraya’s favourite wife which Bhageeradha says is evident as he chose her to stand on his right side always and there is a statue in a temple to prove this.

Bhageeradha says, contrary  popular belief, the Harigandapuram village in Chittoor district now known as Nagalapuram was changed after Nagaladevi and not Krishnadevaraya’s mother whose name was Nagamamba Devi.  In the book, one can find how Nagaladevi rose against all odds. She was ridiculed in the palace as she was a veshya (prostitute) and Sri Krishnadevaraya married her inspite of resistance from family and advisors. A woman of great inner strength, Nagaladevi learnt horse riding and sword fighting. Also, Sri Krishnadevaraya relied on her advice on several issues including war policy.

Bhageeradha says, “Sri Krishnadevaraya was a Vaishnava and Nagaladevi Shaiva. In those times, these two castes wouldn’t see eye-to-eye but he never interfered in her belief system and gave her due credit.” The book is an addition to the literature on the Vijayanagara Empire and on the role of Nagaladevi much ignored by scholars.