Thimmanna Nayaka got together the chieftains and brave soldiers from all parts of Keladi and raised an army. He marched towards Bidanur. The soldiers of Bijapur, who were proud of their seizure of Bidanur were marching towards Bhuvanagirii to capture it. In the midst of the thick forest and in a narrow pass, the Sultan's soldiers fell into the hands of the heroic Kannada warriors. The men of Keladli knew the terrain quite well; they destroyed the Bijapur army and went to Bidanur. The people there were overjoyed at the arrival of the Kannada soldiers. They opened the gates wide and welcomed them.

The people of Keladi, one and all, accepted Chennamma as their ruler. In 1671 Chennamma was crowned as the Queen in the fortress of Bhuvanagiri. The Queen now took over the entire adminis- tration into her hands. She honoured the chiefs and soldiers, who had helped in the fight for Bidanur, suitably with money, gold, lands and high offices. The kingdom had become worn out with chaos and misrule. The Queen brought peace and happiness to it. She again enforced the system which had been formulated by Shivappa Nayaka. She arranged forspecial temple honours and worship with great pomp to the deities of Rameshwara, Aghoreshwara and Goddess Mookambike, whose grace, she felt, had warded off all dangers. She offered diamond-studded crowns and golden lamps to these deities.

The Queen also arrested both Bharame Mavuta and Jannopant who were responsible for the death of her husband, and put them to death. Those who had conspired against her and wanted to usurp the kingdom were also punished and banished from the kingdom. Queen Chennamma now ruled over the kingdom ably. She was like a goddess to the virtuous and like destruction itself to the wicked. She had an 'Agrahara' - an entire street with houses on either side - formed, and invited scholars to settle down there. It was named 'Somashekharapura'. Day and night Chennamma toiled for the welfare of the state.

With the consent of her people she adopted as her son, a good boy, Basappa Nayaka by name. She expanded the army and strengthened security at the borders. After her work for the kingdom, Chennamma spent whatever leisure she had, in meditation and in acts of charity and kindness. She gave gifts of lands to Mutts and religious institutions. The Queen respected all the religions and was herself respected by everybody.