The Nadaprabhu Kempe Gowda Jayanthi celebrations, proposed by the government, have been cancelled after elaborate arrangements just two days before the designated date 17 April because there are differences among historians about the actual date of birth of Kempe Gowda. The date April 17 was deduced from the poem Jaya Prashasthi written during the time of Kempe Gowda, the third, it is said. But the actual date of birth is not proved yet.Here is an interesting document, in Gazetteer of Mysore, written by BL Rice, 1887, published in London. Documenting the origin of Morasu Wokkaligaru, BL Rice writes “it is related that about the end of the fourteenth century a party of travellers, consisting of seven farmers with their families, halted at the foot of a hill named Ramaswami Betta, to the east of Nandidurga. They were of Telugu origin and subsequently became known as the Morasu Wokkalu, a name still borne by a large section of ryots in this district. They were worshippers of Baire Deva, and had the strange custom of amputating the ring and little fingers of the right hand of their daughters before marriage. The leader of the band was Rana Baire Gauda, who had been forced to fly from the village of Alur, near Conjeveram, in order to preserve his daughter Doddamma from mesalliance with a powerful suitor of lower caste.“On the night of their encampment on (a spot), Rana Baire Gauda was directed in a dream to settle in that neighbourhood. They accordingly built some huts and formed the village Ahuti, now Avati, north of Devanahalli. Rana Baire Gauda remained at Avati and his son was the founder of Devanahalli, Dod Ballapura and Chik Ballapura. Sanna Baire Gauda betook himself to Holuvanahalli or Korampur and founded Koratagere. Timme Gauda went to Sugatur near Jangamakote and became the ruler of Kolar and Punganur and the founder of Hoskote, while a descendent of his found Anekal. The destination of three others is not known but the seventh established himself at Yelahanka.“Jaya Gauda - This was Jaya Gauda, who acquired the title Yelahanka Nadu Prabhu or lord of the Yelahanka Nadu, as Feudatory of the Vijayanagar sovereigns. He ruled for 15 yaers (1418 - 1433) and was suceeded by his son Gidde Gauda. Being without children, the latter is related to have made a vow to Kempamma, the consort of Baire Deva, that if by her favour he should be blessed with male issue, his descendants ever afterwards should bear her name.“The goddess was propitious and he had a son, whom in accordance with his vow he named Kempa Nanja Gauda. After a rule of 10 yaers (1433-1443) Gidde Gauda was suceeded by Kempa Nanja Gauda. This chief governmed his territory with benevolence and justice for the long space of 70 years (1443-1513)“Kempe Gauda - Kempe Gauda, his son, the most distinguished of the line, suceeded and acquired the favour of Krishna Raya and Achyuta Raya, the kings of Vijayanagara. Once while making a tour through the Yelahanka nadu, he came to a village named Sivanasamudram, 10 miles south of Yelahanka and 3 miles south of Old Bengaluru. The Site appearing to him favourable for erection of a fort, he obtained permission of Achyuta Raya to establish his capital there and in 1537 built a mud fort and transferred to his new town the name of Bengaluru. As areward for his zeal and activity, the following places were granted to him by Achyuta Raya namely Old Bengaluru, Vartur, Yelahanka, Bevur, halasur, Tengeri, Talagattapur, Jigani, Kumbalgod, Kanali, Banavar and Hesarghatta. “BL Rice goes on to explain in detail the expansion of Bengaluru and the eventual arrest of Kempe Gauda by Jagadeva Rayal for establishing a mint and issuing the Baire Deva coins. He was placed in prison for five years and later released after he paid heavy fine. He continued to rule till 1569. After his death his son Kempe Gauda the second (immadi) succeeded and extended his territory westwards and took into his possession Savanadurga and Magadi. He built a mud fort and a Someshwara temple.In 1638 Ranadulha Khan, the general of Adil Shahi prince of Bijapur captured Bengaluru from Kempe Gauda and made it his chief residence. Kempe Gauda had to retire to Savanadurga.BL Rice has given a foot note about a “Hale Bengaluru, as it was afterwards called, the site of which is pointed out near Kodigehalli, north west of Hebbal tank. The Bengaluru district was for a long time called the Sivanasamudram country.”Subsequently how Bengaluru came under the power of Marata kings and how Venkoji sold it to Chikka Deva Raja Wadiyar for 3 lakh rupees. Eventually Mysore kings gifted Bengaluru to Hyder Ali as jagir in recognition of his distinguished service. After his Tipu Sultan took over and in 1791 the British under Lord Cornwallis captured and took over Bengaluru and established the British Cantonment in 1809. It was only in 1882 that Bengaluru was handed over to the Mysore king.Now, the history of Bengaluru itself has several twists and turns and each can be reason enough to commemorate. Who actually founded Bengaluru, the senior Hiriya Kempe Gowda or the second Immadi Kempe Gowda? Whose jayanthi should we celebrate? First or the second? What is this Haleya Bengaluru that history has recorded? Should we not be spending time, funds and expertise to find out that instead of wasting it on meaningless celebrations? I say meaningless because Kempe Gowda Jayanthi will become nothing more than an insipid government program. Better to cancel it permanently and instead give scholarships to make research on Bengaluru.