According to this theory, when the Hoysala Empire succumbed to the Mogul invasion in 1327 (and the capital Halebidu was sacked), the Hoysala family withdrew to the Tonnur region (modern Tondanur near Melkote in modern Mandya district) and continued to rule from there as petty chieftains under the Vijayanagara Empire.
He fought to resolve the disputes in the Melkote shrine between Thenkalai and Vadakalai priests and was a devout worshipper at Biligirirangaswamy Temple in Biligirirangan Hills and Venugopala Krishna in Malleswaram temple.