Queen Abbakka's Temple and Ruins

Memorial to the 16th-century Jain queen who defied the Portuguese

The ruins associated with Queen Abbakka Chowta — the Jain temple at Melangadi she patronised and the remains of her palace, marked by a small moat to the south of the town — are modest by the standards of major historical sites, but the story attached to them is one of the more extraordinary in Karnataka's history. Abbakka Rani ruled Ullal in the 16th century and held off the Portuguese repeatedly at a time when virtually no coastal ruler in India was capable of doing so.

Locals speak of her with genuine pride, and a festival in her honour is held annually. The temple ruins are a short walk from the centre of the village; finding them is easiest with a local guide or by asking at any of the shops along the main street. The site is not signposted to international tourist standards but is well-known to everyone in Ullal.

things to do sight
A story
Abbakka Chowta was a Jain queen who ruled Ullal in the 16th century and became one of the few rulers in India to successfully repel multiple Portuguese attacks. In 1566 she surrounded a Portuguese frigate at night with her Mogaveera warriors and routed its crew. When the Governor of Portuguese India sent a larger armada, she was finally betrayed — legend says for a casket of silver. She was captured but never surrendered, continuing to fight even in captivity until her death.