On a quiet bend of Shivamogga Road near Belludi village, something unusual now makes travellers slow down. It is not a temple or a statue of a political leader. It is a stone memorial for a ram — an animal whose name still travels through the village like a legend.
In Belludi, a village in Harihar taluk of Davanagere district, people do not speak of Belludi Kaali as livestock. They speak of it the way fans talk about heroes. Years after its final fight, the ram’s story still moves from tea shops to evening gatherings, from elders who witnessed its victories to youngsters who know it only through stories.
From backyard to battlefield fame
Kaali’s rise began quietly. When brothers Raghavendra DK and Mohan DK bought the ram, it was just ten months
old. They raised it like a pet, never imagining it would one day become the most talked-about ram in the region.
Trained patiently for competitions, Kaali soon started winning, again and again until its reputation spread beyond Karnataka, reaching admirers in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Soon, crowds were travelling long distances just to watch it compete. Some rival owners even stopped entering their own rams whenever Kaali’s name appeared, convinced defeat was certain.
The day Belludi stopped to mourn
On November 25, 2024, the village woke up to news that changed everything. Belludi Kaali had died suddenly. The place that once gathered to cheer now gathered to grieve.
The ram was buried with traditional Hindu rituals usually reserved for humans. Large crowds came to pay their final respects. Some devoted fans went a step further, tattooing Kaali’s name and image on their bodies, a level of devotion rarely seen for an animal.
Out of that grief grew an idea that felt radical to some and natural to others. If people could build monuments for heroes of history, why not for a hero of everyday life?
A memorial carved from memory
And so, along Shivamogga Road, a stone memorial worth Rs 9 lakh began to rise. It was not meant to be an ordinary structure.
Elephants were carved around the base. Four pillars stood at each corner. Stone chains linked them together. At the centre, a carved statue of Kaali took shape, frozen forever in the strength that once defined it.
The man who shaped this tribute, Shakti from Tamil Nadu, was not just a sculptor hired for a job. He was a fan. He had followed Kaali’s story for years and agreed to build the memorial for a modest fee, calling it an honour rather than a contract.
Today, the site has become more than a monument. Daily prayers are offered there. Elders pause beside it. Children stop to ask who the ram was. And every time the story is told, Belludi Kaali seems to live again.
A village turns grief into purpose
The project has grown beyond the stone structure. With inauguration costs included, the total expense is expected to touch Rs 12 lakh, with around Rs 3 lakh set aside for the event.
On January 25, the memorial will be officially unveiled by Sri Niranjananandapuri Swami, the head of the Kanaka Guru Peetha. A free blood donation camp will also be organised on the same day, turning remembrance into an act of service.
What Belludi chose to remember
For the brothers who raised Kaali, the emotions remain raw. Mohan DK admits they never imagined such fame for their ram, and losing it still hurts deeply. Raghavendra DK speaks of the overwhelming love Kaali received — love that crossed villages, districts, and even state borders.
In a place where statues usually rise for politicians and reformers, Belludi has chosen a different kind of hero. One without speeches or medals. One that fought with horns, not words.
And now, long after its last battle, Belludi Kaali stands again – not in the ring, but in stone reminding everyone who passes that legends are not always born in history books. Sometimes, they are raised in backyards, trained with love, and remembered by an entire village.
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