If you have been to Bengaluru or happen to be this city’s resident, public institutions and places named Vani Vilas Circle, Vani Vilasapura Dam, or Vani Vilas Road are a common sight.

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These public places are named after a fearless queen of Mysuru — Kempananjammani Vani Vilasa Sannidhana, who became queen regent after her husband, the 23rd Maharaja of Mysore, Chamarajendra’s untimely death. Married at 12, she was just 26 years old when the king passed away, leaving behind five children — their oldest son was only 10 years old.

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The queen is said to have wept and grieved her husband for two days. But when the third day dawned, Kempananjammani was ready to take charge as queen regent and rule over Mysore state.

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It was almost like she pressed a reset button and derived all the strength she could to make her late husband proud by making the state prosperous.

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Under her rule, the kingdom saw many advance changes, including initiating an irrigation project along with the Dewan of Mysore, Seshadri Iyer, in 1898, which benefited thousands of farmers. The 120-year-old Vanivilasa Sagar in the Chitradurga district, which was built under the Marikanive irrigation project, used to provide irrigation facilities to around 25,000 acres of land in the region.

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The dam was also responsible for the cultivation of areca nut, sugarcane, coconut and more in the area.

She was also actively involved in the Shivanasamudra hydroelectric project which provided electricity to KGF in 1902 and later to Bengaluru.

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