The tiger's fortress

This one of Karnataka’s best island fortress and often regarded as the best known not only in India but the world over.

Situated at the junction of two rivers, the fortress was initially built by a local chieftain. However, it achieved renown as one of the most impregnable forts only in the 17^th and 18^th century.

Today, the ruins of the fort dominate the island and it still stands in all majesty, a tribute to all those who worked hard to make it a formidable bastion of stone, lime and mortar.

 The fort was breached by the British more than 200 years ago. The breach too stands as it was centuries ago, a mute testimony to the treachery of  a handful of people and the determination of the British to stifle out all dissent and opposition, in their bid to make India their own.

This is the fort of Srirangapatna, just a few miles from Mysore and located on the Bangalore-Mysore Road.

The fort is surrounded by the waters of the Cauvery and Paschimavahini and it one of the best known island forts of India. Though the fort is closely associated with Tipu Sultan and his father, Hyder Ali, not many know that they were not the builders of the fort. They only reinforced, strengthened and at some places added to the already existing fort.

The history of the Srirangapatna fort goes back to the 15^th century when a local chieftain, Thimanna Hebbar of Nagamangala began construction of a mud wall. The then Vijayanagar Emperor, Deveraya, the second, permitted Hebbar to fortify Srirangapatna. The construction commenced sometime in 1454 and when the Vijayanagar dynasty was decisively defeated by the Muslim Kingdoms of  the Deccan in the Battle of Talikota in 1565, Srirangapatna rose to prominence as one of the strongest forts of a truncated and much decreased (in area and size) of the Vijayanagars.

 The fort was the last frontier of the Vijayanagars and when the last Vijayanagar Viceroy of Srirangapatna province, Tirumala Raya lost a battle to Raja Wodeyar in 1601 (This was the battle of Kesare, which today is part of Mysore), the Wodeyars made Srirangapatna their capital and began ruling from there.

The Wodeyar Kings began strengthening the fort walls and in 1654, Kanteerava  Narasaraj Wodeya, the then ruler of the Mysore, rebuilt it.  More than a century later, Tipu Sultan with the help of French engineers, added to the fort structures and strengthened its defenses.

Tipu went in for a double enclosure fort constructed with massive granite blocks. However, the inside of the fort ramparts are made of mud and rubble masonry.

The Srirangapatna fort is shaped like a triangle, and aligned along the northwestern corner of the island so that the eaters of the Cauvery add to the defence. The rugged riverbed form a natural moat on the north and west of the fort. From the air, the fort looks like an irregular pentagon with a

perimeter of about 4 kilometres.

The double moats on the south and east side of the forts were built by Tipu to deter the enemy from gaining easy access. Crocodiles were let into the moats but today they are rather dry. The moats were 30 feet deep.

The moats around the fort were dug under the personal supervision of the French military engineer, Huben. For Tipu, the moats provided the much needed security for a capital which was constantly under enemy attack.

The main entrance to the island city was from the bridges and gateways on the south and eastern side of the fort. Two important gateways – the Mysore Gate and the Elephant Gate face the Bangalore-Mysore highway..

The ruins of Bangalore and Delhi Gates or the water gate have their own tales to tell. The fort was once ringed by 18 watch towers, interspread with cannons.

It  was from the water gate that the British successfully breached the fort. Unfortunately, for Tipu and his family, this was the only passage for them to access water from around the moat without fearing for crocodiles.
The moat today is facing threat from a different kind. A callous and insensitive administration coupled with man’s greed is spelling ruin to this once grand structure.

Debris from the town and the other areas is being dumped into the moat surrounding the fort. Leftovers from chicken, mutton and fish stalls and other garbage are also being thrown into the moat.
The moat near Cauvery Layout in Srirangapatna is partially buried under debris and the situation is similar on the road that connects Thomas Inman’s dungeon. Weeds have grown in the moat.

Just a little away from the Water Gate is the place where Tipu died, valiantly fighting on till his last breath. 

The first of the three Rangas

The post on the three Rangas in the three islands of Srirangapatna, Shivanasamudra and Srirangam which houses the Ranganatha statues has received several queries on places in and around each of the three places.

Several people have asked us about tourist and pilgrim places around each of these three Kshetras or pilgrim places.   

According to belief, if you visit all the three Rangas in a day, you will get a lot of Punya. All the three places are Vaishnava centres and all of them have temples dedicated to Narayana or Ranganatha in a sleeping posture.

All the three temples are located across the Cauvery and they follow and conduct almost the same rituals. You have to start the tour from Srirangapatna by taking a dip in the Cauvery and then head to the other two Rangas. 

While Srirangapatna is known as the Adi Ranga, Shivanasamudra is termed as Madhya Ranga and Srirangam as Antya Ranga. While the first two Rangas are in Karnataka, the third is in Tamil Nadu.

So let me start with places of interest in and around Srirangapatna. All these places can be covered in two days and they are easily accessible by road.

Srirangapatna is an island fortress and it is 110 kilometres from Bangalore, It is easily accessible by both road and rail from Bangalore, Mysore is the nearest City with excellent road and rail communication and it is 19 kms from Srirangapatna.

Srirangapatna is a religious and historic town. This is the place where Tipu Sultan died battling the British on May 4, 1799. Apart from the Ranganatha Swamy Temple, check out the Narasimha Temple nearby.

The place where Tipu died is identified by a small stone slab. It s here that Tipu died fighting. Nearby is the Bailay dungeon where British prisoners of war were held. A little away is an obelisk. The Jama Masji is one of the most elegant structures of the town and it has a sun dial on which Tipu depended for knowing the time.

A little distance away from the main gate of the temple is the recently excavated tunnel leading to the palace of Tipu which is another ruin opposite the Ranganatha Temple. Local lore has it that one of the balconies of the Lal Mahal or palace of Tipu was so built that Tipu could get a glimpse of Ranganatha every day after he got up.

(An interesting aside here is that Tipu never slept in a bed. He slept in a closed room which oversaw the inner courtyard of the palace. The room was sparsely furnished and it had a beautiful hammock on which Tipu slept. The hammock was dismantled after the British ravaged the palace in 1799 and taken away).

A little away from Srirangapatna is Daria Daulat, the palace. It has some excellent paintings and artifacts. It is surrounded by a beautiful garden. Down the road is the Gumbaz is where Tipu is buried along with his father Hyder Ali and his mother.

English and contemporary accounts recount that when the cortege containing the body of Tipu was being escorted to the Gumbaz by British soldiers, heavy rains lashed Srirangapatna. To this day, rain falls on the day Tipu was buried.

A little away from the Gumbaz is Sangam where three rivers meet-Cauvery, Kabini and Hemavathi. This is an excellent boating and picnic spot. This is just three kms from Srirangapatna.

Another place worth a visit is the Nimishamba Temple in Ganjam. This houses the idol of Parvati and since she is supposed to grant a boon within a minute of asking, the place came to be known as Nimishamba. Nimisha in Kannada means a minute. This is 2 kms from Srirangapatna.

Gosai Ghat is another picnic spot. Several Kannada, Tamil and Telugu films have been shot. The Cauvery is at its best here. Enjoy a coracle ride.

Just two kilometres from Gosai Ghat is another scenic spot called Paschima Vahini. There are several heritage buildings and bathing ghats of the Wodayar Emperors here. The heritage buildings and the bathing ghats are in a dilapidated condition.  This ghat is visible from the Bangalore-Mysore highway.

If you still have time, check out the French cemetery in Srirangapatna, Inman’s Prison which was discovered almost a century after Tipu died, Wellesley bridge and several ancient temples.

Ranganathittu

This is one of the best known bird sanctuaries in India. Though it is small, you can spot several species of  birds. The sanctuary adjoins Srirangapatna.

Karighatta

This is a hill on which a temple of Srinivada is situated. It is just a a few kilometres away from Srirangapatna and it is off the Bangalore-Mysore road. Karighatta means Black Hill in Kannada. The srinivasa is called Karigirivasa or Bairagi Venkataramana. The epithet ‘Bairagi’ for this idol is derived from the fact that when alankara  or flower decoration is done to the deity, it resembles a Bairagi or mendicant.

A small river, Lokapavani, a tributary of  Cauvery, flows by the hill. The head to Mysore, the royal city of the Wodeyars.

Mysore

Mysore is 136 kms from Bangalore and 19 kms from Srirangapatna. This is the city of palaces and home to Chamundi, the Goddess, who slew the demon Mahishasura.

The Chamundi temple is located atop the Chamundi Hills which you can either climb or motor up. The Godly museum, the statue of Mahishasura (this is the exact place where he was slain by Chamundi), the Dodda Basava or Nandi, the Rajendra Vilas palace and a few other temples are worth a visit.

A little away from the Chamundi temple is Devi Kola or a tank from which water is drawn to perform abhisheka to Chamunid. Enjoy an unrestricted view of Mysore and its surroundings from the hill. There are a number of buses from Mysore bus stand to the hill. The temple opens from 7 a.m., to 2 p.m., and again from 3-30 p.m., to 9 p.m.

The Jayachamrajendra Zoologial Garden is one of the oldest and the best zoos in India. It has a variety of wildlife. The museum inside is worth a visit. The zoo also houses an Anaconda in a special enclosure. The zoo is opne from 8-30 a.m., and Tuesday is a holiday.

The Regional Museum of Natural History and Melody World wax museum are near to each other. The wax museum is a new addition and it is at the beginning of the Siddarthanagar locality.

The main palace or the Mysore palace is the star attraction of Mysore and it is one of the largest residential palaces in the world. The palace is illuminated in the evenings. This is regarded as among the top five best palaces in the world. There are twelve temples within the fort. Each portion of the magnificent palace has its own tale to narrate.

The palace is a masterpiece of several styles. It was commissioned in 1897 and completed in 1914 and it then cost a little more than Rs. 40 lakhs. It was designed by Sir Henry Irwin, who also designed the Viceregal lodge in Shimla. After the Taj Mahal in Agra, this palace draws the largest number of visitors.

The palace is open to the public from 10 a.m., till 5-30 p.m. The illumination on all Sundays and public holidays is from 7 p.m., to 8 p.m.      

Near to the main palace is the Jaganmohan palace which houses many artifacts. The best among them are the painting of the lady with the lamp and the French musical clock.

This palace was completed in 1861 and it was used by the royal family after the main palace accidentally burnt down during a wedding in 1897. It has one of the largest collection of artifacts in south India. It has several paintings by Raja Ravi Verma, Roerichs and Tagore. The palace is open from 8-30 a.m., to 6 p.m.

The Lalitha Mahal hotel at the foothills of the Chamundi is a five star hotel. Check out the architecturally pleasing building and if you can afford to splurge, have a bite. It is definitely going to burn a hole in your pocket.   

The Manasa Gangotri is the campus housing Mysore University. The Crawford Hall is worth a visit as is the folklore museum. Adjacent to the University is the Kukkaranahalli lake.

The sandal factory and Cauvery emporium are other major attractions. The KRS dam is accessible from Mysore, Mandya or even Srirangapatna. The musical fountain show is in the evenings. The Fountain timings are 7 P.M., to 7.55 P.M., on weekdays and  7 P.M to 8.55 P.M., on holidays.
During winter, the fountain timings are from 6.30 P.M., to 7.25 P.M., on weekdays and from 6.30 P.M. to 8.25 P.M., on holidays The dam is built across the Cauvery and it is a marvel of engineering. The credit for the dam goes to Sir M. Visveshvaraiah.

The Brindavan Gardens of the KRS has been a popular shoot for hundreds of Indian films. It was among the first landscaped gardens of a dam.

Mysore has several temples and other places of interest. The Oriental Reseach Library is one for students and scholars and it was here that the Arthashastra of Kautilya or Chanakya was discovered.

The Railway museum, St. Philomena’s Church, Karanji lake, Ligambudi lake, the Ganapathi Sachidananda Ashrama are other places worth a visit.

Balamuri

Near Mysore is Balamuri where the Cauvery takes a reverse. Upstream is Yadamuri. Both are easily accessible. Balamuri is located midway between Mysore and KRS Dam. The nearest town is Belagola.

Mahadevapura

This is another little known bird sanctuary near Mysore. It is one of the most scenic places around and what makes it attractive is that it is not as well-known as other places.

Sagarkatte

This is a tiny hamlet across the Cauvery 25 kms from Mysore. There is an old Vyasaraja Matha here. The backwaters of the KRS form a beautiful water body. Take a train ride to this place from Mysore and enjoy its beauty. 

Nanjangud

This old temple town is just a few miles (23 kms) from Mysore and it is approachable either by road or rail. The Mysore airport is midway between Mysore and Nanjangud.

The Nanjundeshwara Temple here dedicated to Shiva is one of the biggest in south India. The town is on the banks of Kapila. The deity is also called Srikanteshwara.

Nearby is the temple of Raghavendra Swamy. It is only here that we can see an idol of Raghavendra Swamy. The idol was recovered by a washerman from the Cauvery in Srirangapatna. It is also known for a variety of bananas and tooth powder. It is also home to Ayurvedic products.

A little away from the old Nanjungud railway station is Asia’s oldest railway bridge. This is a heritage structure.

Chamarajanagar

Continue on the Nanjangud road and touch Chamarajanagar which is 38 kms away. This district headquarters is accessible by both road and rail. This is the southern end of Karnataka. This town is famous for the temple of Chamarajeshwara. It is surrounded by several hills stations of which ths most famous is BR Hills. 

 Kanakagiri

Kanakagiri is an important Jain centre. It is the only siddakshetra in South India and the only one for Jainism for performing Kalasarpadosha Parihara pooja. This is 18 kms from Chamarajanagar.

The temple of Parsavanath, one of the Theerthankaras, is atop a hill. The idol is five feet in height and black in colour. Maleyur, three kms away from here, is known for its thick forest cover and its sandalwood.

Melkote

A little more than 34 kms away is one of the finest Vaishanava shrines in India and this is the well-know temple town of  Melkote. It was home to the saint-philosopher, Ramanujacharya, for several years. The Cheluvanarayanaswamy temple and the Yoga Narasimha temples are stunning. The Yoga Narasimha temple is accessible after a steep climb that can leave you exhausted. There is a small cave beneath the Yoga Narasimha temple where Prahalada meditated.

The Mahadwara which is a structure of two massive pillars meant to be the main entrance to the temple town is another monument. This monument has figured in several films.

The Puliyogre handed out at the temple as Prasad is the best of its kind. Taste it and you will feel like having another helping.

Pandavapura

It was known as French rocks during the reign of Hyder Ali and Tipu as the French had based their troops here. The Kunit Betta or hill is the place where Kunti, the mother of Pandavas, stayed during the Vanavasa. The Pandavas ended their exile here and, hence, the name Pandavapura. This is just 10 kms from Srirangapatna and 25 kms from Mysore.

Tonnur

It has two magnificent temple and one of them, the Nambi Narayana, was consecrated by Ramanajucharya. This is a beautiful temple and it is one of the most sacred shrines for Vaishnavas.

It is near Pandavanapur and Melkote.

Tonnur is flanked by the beautiful Tonnur lake which came to be called as Moti Talab by Tipu Sultan.

It was the second capital of the Hoysalas after Dwarasamudra (Halebidu) but none of the Hoysala structures remain. The palace of the Hoysala Emperor, Vishnuvardhana, was built just behind the Nambi Narayana temple but no trace of it remains today.      

All the places mentioned above can be covered in two days if you have the time. They are all nearby and it would be advisible if you hire a driver who can also act as a guide. For example, you can take in Sangama, Gosai Ghat, Daria Daulat, Gumbaz, Nimishamba all in a stretch.

In Mysore, take in Chamundi Hills, Zoological Gardens, Wax museum, Main palace, Jaganmohan palace and KRS Dam in a day. Similarly, Melkote, Tonnur, Pandavapura can be completed in a stretch.

There are plenty of eateries and hotels in Mysore and eating out would not be major problem. Mysore is one of the cities in India that has hotels and eateries to suit you taste and budget. This is the City that gave Mysore Pak and Bisibele bath to its Wodeyar Emperors first. Both the dishes are a rage today among the populace.

Mysore, a few decades ago, was home to the Ideal Jawa motorbike factory which manufactured the legendary Jawa, Yezdi and Roadking bikes. The factory has shut down. It is also the place where the State Government opened its tyremaking unit called Vikrant. This factory too has been privatized.

Mysore is home to one of the most beautiful buildings that is the headquarters of the Infosys Knowledge centre.    

Mysore is easily accessible from all parts of India. There are plenty of trains from Bangalore, Chennai and Hubli-Arsikere. 

This concludes the first part of the Ranga tour. The next part will carry details on road trip from Srirangapatna to Shivanasamudra and the places worth seeing.Till then, happy reading. 

When Munro became Munrolappa

One of the most outstanding achievements of any human being is when his name is perpetuated by people who respectfully take his name and also name their children after him.

There are only a handful of  such people in India and one among them is perhaps the first foreigner and the first Britisher to see Raghavendra Swamy or Rayaru seated in his Brindavana and also talk to him in 1800. (Raghavendra Swamy entered Brindavana in 1691).  He is also the man who banned people from eating Tirupathi parasada with their bare hands at the holy town in Andhra Pradesh  and forbade the custom only to revere it later after he began suffering from acute stomach ache.

His stomach ache was miraculously cured after he reversed his order on eating Prasada. He is none other than Major-General Sir Thomas Munro, (May 27, 1761 – July 6, 1827).

A  Scottish soldier and colonial administrator, he joined service in the East India Company as an Army officer and fought both Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan.  However, he is even today remembered not as a soldier or an a man who spoke to Rayaru but as an outstanding administrator and a superb civil servant who introduced the ryotwari system in agriculture which continues to this day.

Born to a merchant named Alexander Munro, he was educated at

at the University of Glasgow. While at school, young Thomas was came to be known for his mild manners, courage and presence of mind. A robust boy, he easily surpassed all his school mates in athletics. At school, he came to be known as a boxer.

In 1799, he was appointed to an infantry cadetship in Madras. He served with his regiment during the hard-fought war against Hyder Ali (1780–1783) and also in the first campaign against Tipu Sultan (1790–1792).  He was then chosen as one of four military officers to administer the region of Barahamahal. This was part of the territory acquired from Tipu and Munro remained in the post for  seven years. He learnt the principles of revenue survey and assessment which he applied throughout the presidency of Madras.

After the death of Tipu in 1799, Munro spent a short time restoring order in south Karnataka; and then for another seven years (1800–1807) he was in charge of the northern districts ceded to the British by the Nizam of Hyderabad, where he introduced the Ryotwari system of land revenue.

He then left to England and came back to India in 1814 with special instructions to reform the judicial and police systems. When the Pindari War broke out in 1817, he was appointed as brigadier-general to command the reserve division formed to reduce the southern territories of the Peshwa.

In 1820, he was appointed as Governor of Madras, where he founded systems of revenue assessment and general administration. These systems continue even today and he is fondly regarded as the father of the farmer friendly Ryotwari system.

When Munro was the Collector of  Bellary, the Madras Government in 1800 ordered him to procure the entire income from the Raghavendra Swamy Matha located in Manthralaya village. Munro asked the Revenue officials to comply with the order but when they failed to do so, he himself visited the Matha.

Munro removed his hat and shoes and entered the Matha.  He stood before the Brindavana and Raghavendra Swamy conversed with him for sometime about the resumption of endowment.

The venerable Madhwa saint was visible and audible only to Munro who also received the Manthrakshathe.

Munro then went back and wrote an order favouring the Matha. This order and notification was published in the Madras Government Gazette in Chapter XI and page 213, with the caption ``Manchali Adoni Taluka. This order is still preserved in Fort St. George and Manthralaya.

Coming back to his administrative achievements, Munro earned renown for his compassion and innovative schemes when he was principal collector of  the Ceded districts from 1800 to 1807. He  then had his headquarters at Anantapur. He took over office on November 1, 1800 and he had four able assistants or sub collectors-Alexander Stodart who worked from Kadapa, James Cochrane from Harapanahalli, William Thackeray, father of novelist Theckeray who is the author of Vanity Fair, from Adoni and James Ravenshaw from Kambam. Maj Gen Dugald Campell was appointed Commander of the Ceded districts.

It was during this time that Munro evolved a policy towards the local chieftains or poligars.

Under the ryotwari system, the entire cultivated area was surveyed and this process was begun in 1802 and completed in 1807. Each field was surveyed, numbered and the name of the holder registered. The land revenue was directly collected from them, thus making the ryots owners of the land. The ryot was at liberty to sublet, rent or lease his piece of land. As long as he paid his dues, he could not be ejected from his land or displaced. Before cultivation commenced in 1802, Munro made advances to the ryots for purchasing seeds, agricultural implements, bullocks and repair wells and dig new ones. When heavy rains breached more than 100 tanks in the Ceded districts in 1803, Munro went ahead with relief and rehabilitation measures without waiting for government approval. He repaired damaged and breached tanks and lakes. The repairs were so timely that in 1804, there was a bumper crop and the government collected 100 per cent revenue.

Munro to the Indians then came across as a man with deep concern for the common man. He left an indelible impression on several score families. Many people liked him and called him father. His tale of generosity, magnanimity and deep concern so grew that people compared him to a divine being. Even today, rustic people in and around Anantapur and areas that formed part of the Ceded districts sing ballads remembering Munro and his everlasting contribution.

If his conversation with Raghavendra Swamy made him a legend, the blessings of Srinivasa in Tirupathi made him into a demi god. Munro’s name is also associated with two other temples-Kadiri Lakshminarayanaswamy in Ananthapur district where he wanted to attach lands of the temple and Narasimhaswamy temple at Gangapur in Kadapa.

People of the ceded districts believed him to an incarnation of Mandava Rishi and began naming their sons as Munrolappa. Even today, that name stands. Check out the Ceded districts and you are sure to come across thousands of Munrolappa. All their names owe their origin to Munro. This is how Munro became Munrolappa.

How many politicians in Indian today, barring film stars and cricket players, can claim to have such a distinction. Politicians should read about Munro and learn from his achievements. The stocks of politicians in India has sun so low that few would like to name their children after them and fewer would prefer to be associated with them.              

The Srirangapatna that I know

I was born n Mysore and did part of my schooling in the CFRTI school. As a Mysorean, I grew up on the heroic tales of Tipu, the magnificent Dasara procession and the Wodeyars.

Srirangapatna, to me was just a train stop away.

I must have visited Srirangapatna more than a hundred times and each time the small little island on the Cauvery has given me a surprise. I would like to share some of the most memorable moments of the place and also the historical spots in and around the fort town.

Srirangapatna is 26 kms from its district headquarters of Mandya and 14 kms from Mysore. It is surrounded on all sides by Cauvery.

Srirangapatna was also known as Srirangapura, Thiruvaranga Narayana Chaturvedi Mangala, Gautama Kshetra and Ubhaya Kaveri Madhyavarti.

Avinasheshwara, a Sanskrit poet, refers to the town as Karivaradarajapura and the British records call it as Seringapatam.

This Jaladurga or island fort was initially built by Thimanna Hebbar, a Palegar chief of Nagamangala in 1454 A.D.

Raja Wodeyar (1610A.D.) and Kanteerava Narasaraja Wodeyar (1654 A.D.) built the eastern second round fort wall.  Chikkadevaraja Wodeyar arranged for the cannons to be kept on the bastions near the inner fort, outer fort and the Jeebi entrance doors.

Some of the monuments of Srirangapatna are:

Jamia Masjid

Tipu constructed the masjid to the right of  the Ganjam Gate in 1782 A.D. It is built on the base of a Hanumantha temple and this fact is recorded by the Department of the Archaeology in its report of 1935.

The Masjid’s Mehrab is artistic and towards the top, it turns westwards. After crossing the pond and climbing the steps, one finds the decorated artistic wall of the spacious upper storied hall.  It contains selected verses of Quran as well as 99 names of Allah written in beautiful calligraphy.

Nearby is the water gate and a plaque indicating the place where the body of Tipu was found on May 4, 1799.

Gangadhareshwara Temple

Next to this is the Gangadhareshwara temple facing east, a Hoysala structure with many additions during Vijayanagar- Mysore regime. The Dalvays- ministers of the Wodeyars- also contributed to the temple. The main garbhagriha houses a Shivalinga referred to as Gangadhareshwara. Just behind this temple is the Prasanna Parvathi temple.

There are five inscriptions regarding this temple. Three of them refer to land grants and the other two refer to the services by Kalale Nanjarajaiah who established the Panchaloha Dakshina Murthy sculpture in the temple as well as a certain Shivarama Pandita who consecrated the deity of Tandaveshwara.

The temple has beautiful sculptures of Shanmukha, Saptamatrika, Narayana, Mahishamardini, Surya, Aditya Bhairava,

Veerabhadra, Panchamukhi Gayathri and other idols.

In the small shrines of this temple complex are Shivalingas like Omkareshwara, Avamukteshwara, Samvartakeshwara as well as idols of  15 devotees among the 63 Shiva devotees of Tamil nadu.

A record dated 1610 A.D. from Kilagere (Chamarajanagar

taluk) refers to a Veerashaiva Matha that existed in this temple.
Lal Mahal

The site to the right and in front of the Gangadhareshwara temple is the location of  Lal Mahal, the palace of Hyder and Tipu of which only the basement remains.

Once a grand palace that flourished with decorations during the Tipu’s regime, it later became a godown for sandalwood collection for some time.

Ranganatha temple

This is the most imposing structure of Srirangapatna. A legend says that this place was named Gautama Kshetra because saint Gautama and his wife Ahalya who came from the north, settled here in an hermit (ashram) and worshipped Ranganatha which was situated in a Tulasi garden.

The Ranganatha temple faces east and it is built in Dravidian style. It is one of the biggest temples in the State. It houses a crowned and richly ornamented Ranganatha sculpture in sleeping posture on a big serpent (Adishesha), resting his head on his right hand, and turning to his right flanks.

A local legend states that the world will come to an end when the deity wakes up and stars to measure with the help of  “seer” being used as his pillow.

The deity is about ten feet in its length, placed across in the north and south directions in the garbhagriha is a beautiful single stone sculpture.

At the feet of the deity are sculptures of Cauvery and the saint Gautama in worshipping postures. The doorframe of the garbhagriha is attractive with Gajalakshmi on its lintel, as well as doorkeepers on either side.

The six hexagonal ceilings has lotus decorations. The temple was expanded during the reign of the Nagamangala chief Samanta Thimmanna Dandanayaka (1458 A.D.) and then it became more popular.

A record dated 1528 A.D., from Srirangapatna refers for the first time the addition of the Ranganayaki temple in the complex during

the Vijayanagar regime. It is believed that Alamelamma wife of Thirumalaraya, the representative of the Vijayanagar regime used to lend her ornaments for decorations to the goddess  every Tuesdays and Fridays.

It is also believed that the present nose ring now on the deity belongs to Alamelamma.

On the outer Prakara of the temple are separate temples housing beautiful sculptures of Garuda, Suryanarayana, Lakshminarasimha, Kodandarama, Gajendra Varaprasada, Prasanna Venkataramana, Hanumantha and others.

Hydernama refers to the repairs undertaken by Hyder Ali in 1774 A.D. when a portion of the temple caught fire. The repaired portion was the Patalankana of the temple.

Hanging bridge

In 1808 A.D., Col. D. Haviland, a French Engineer who specilised in Arch structure, constructed a 112-feet long hanging arch bridge made out of bricks and stucco.

It is said that the bridge was actually swinging up and down for about one and half inch like a spring. Nevertheless, it collapsed in 1939 A.D.

Now, only some remnants of the bridge remains are seen. This structure, which is in ruins, is close to the Ranganatha temple

Wellesley Bridge

Welleslley Bridge, also known as Kirangur bridge, was built across the north Cauvery by Diwan Purnaiah during 1807 and named after the then Governor General  Lord Welleslley.

There is the ruined structure of the Palace that was a residence for the representatives of the Vijayanagar regime and the Mysore kings in front of the Ranganatha temple. It is known that during Tipu’s reign, the family of Mysore kings had their refuge in this palace.

Lakshmi Narasimha Temple

A little away from the palace, is a spacious Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy temple. Its outer Prakara is lost.

This temple built during the reign of Kanteerava Narasaraja Wodeyar has sculptures of Narasimha sitting in the posture of embracing Lakshmi, on an elevated pedestal as well as Ambegalu Krishna.

In a garbhagriha to the left of the rangamantapa of the shrine, is a three and a half feet high sculpture of Kanteerava Narasaraja Wodeyar with a record on its base.

The Lakshminarasimha sculpture was brought from Thiruchinapalli by the Narasaraja Wodeyar.

During the reign of the king Chikkadevaraja Wodeyar, the

temple was expanded. Tipu destroyed the shikhara and the mukhamantapa of this temple. He had converted this as a mint. After the death of Tipu, it was Mummadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar who renovated this temple.

Krishnaraja Mandira

A little distance away, at the place of birth of Krishnaraja Wodeyar, a building called Krishnaraja Mandira was constructed. Now it houses the State Archaeological Museum.

Pete Rama Temple

The barber community administers the Pete Rama temple located in the market street near the Fort. A record dated 1537 A.D. refers to the exemption of some taxes given to the barbers of Srirangapatna area by Mahamandaleshwara Rama Rajayya Maha Arasu.

Recently an idol of Tyagaraja, the musical giant was established. Sacred mud from the Tyagaraja tomb at Thiruvayyar

was brought to this place while establishing this tomb.

Every year a music festival is held worshipping Tyagaraja and Purandaradasa, with pomp and gaiety.

The Jyotirmayi temple in the same road is also a spacious temple. Three records dated between 1852 and 1864 A.D. refer to the grants given to the Kalamma temple.

Adinath Temple

The Adinatha temple, a temple dedicated to the first Jain

Theerthankara Vrishabhanatha has been completely renovated. Sculptures of Dharanedra Yaksha and Padmavathi Yakshi the main deities of the Ganga period in the garbhagriha are noteworthy.

A record dated 1666 A.D. on the left wall of the mukhamantapa of the Basadi refers to the grant given to the treasury of Adishesha at Srirangapatna by a certain Payanna and Rajayya, the disciples of

Charukeerti Panditacharya.

Flag mast

The National flag is being hoisted during the Independence Day celebrations on the flag bastion located at the southeast corner of the fort.

This place supposed to be the place of sky-high flag hoist

during the Vijayanagar, Mysore, Tipu and British regimes.

Nearby is a ruined Gun Powder Chamber of Tipu’s regime. In addition, there are Ankalamma, Lakshminarayana, Santana Gopalakrishna, Nagareshwara, Janardhana, Anjaneya and other old temples as well as temples of Ayyappa, Subramanya, and

Shatakoti Rama Mandira.

The place also has Uttaradi Matha, Raghavendra Matha, Yathiraja Matha and a sacred temple of  Madhwaswamy near the water gate.

Daria Daulat

Outside the fortified area to the east, on the road to Sangam, lies the attractive garden and the summer palace of Tipu, called Daria Daulat (a sea of wealth).

This was also Tipu’s  rest house and an amusement centre.

Reese, a foreign traveler, has stated that there is no other place like this in India except for the Palace at Esphan in its decorations of color paintings spread throughout the walls.

The palace is in Indo Sarcenic style. Originally, the east and west walls of the building had scenes of the battle of Kanchipura (1780 A.D.), pictures of Hyder-Tipu, different Palegar Chiefs and Kings in varieties of  colours. However, Tipu defaced these paintings before the invasion of Srirangapatna by the British in 1799 A.D.

After the fall of Srirangapatna, this palace became the residence of Col.Wellessly and the wall paintings in color were repainted and reconstructed. Lord Dalhousie in 1855 A.D., once again ordered the paintings to be redone with the help of local artists. Even though these color paintings are repainted twice, the original forms have been retained.

The paintings are important as they give us minute details of the soldiers and their dresses belonging to British, French, Maratha, Nizam and local Palegar chiefs.

Tipu built this palace in 1784 A.D., on the model of a palace built by the Moghul Governor Dilawar Khan at Sira in Tumkur district.

Tipu used to call upon the Ambassadors at this palace and then  return back to the residential place inside the fort. It is said that initially there was a Mahanavami Mantapa in the place and the Mysore kings were celebrating Dasara festival from it. Afterwards in 1711 A.D., Hyder had converted the place as an army camp.

Shahar Ganjam

Situated to the left of the Summer palace this was the market place. Tipu established this city as a residence for the family of artistes he brought from Sira for manufacturing paper and silver-wired headgears.

A record refers to a jam-packed Sira Bazar and after the attack of the Plague in 1799 A.D. , it was neglected.

Church

Near the Daria Daulat is the Church of Abbe Dube. The church is named after the French priest who constructed the structure. A record dated 1880 A.D on the bell tower of the church refers to it.

The Church is a simple structure in Indo French style. Inside the Church, articles such as French water pot, artistic cross, the

sculpture of the Christ as well as the picture of a priest, his clothing, his chairtable and others are still preserved.

The tower bell made out of brass weighs 200 kilograms.

Nimishamba Temple

The Nimishamba-Mukteshwara temple on the northern banks of  Cauvery  is near Ganjam. It has a Puranic legend attached to its structure.

The legend says that the goddess Adishakti, at the request of saint Mukthamuni, bore different forms in a fraction of a minute or Nimisha to kill demon Janumandala who had the power to bore different forms in a minute. Hence, the name Nimishamba

Boating facilities are available here.

A large number of devotees visit this place during Tuesdays and Fridays.

Gosai Ghat

This Ghat is about one km away on the southern bank of  Cauvery. It is to the right of the road to Gumbaz. Between the two Ghats, the smaller ghat has a small temple and a bathing ghat.

The bigger ghat is called Gosai ghat. It has a temple complex on the banks of the river dedicated to deities such as Ishwara, Hanumantha, and Kashi Vishwanatha.

The spacious Kashi Vishwanatha temple is the main shrine and the flow of Cauvery in front of the temple should be seen to be believed.

Bailey tomb

A record of 1816 A.D.,  at the memorial tomb of Col. Baily states that it was constructed by his half brother. Col. John Beli.

By the side of this, is the site of the Lalbagh Palace.

Hyder started construction of the [palace which was completed by Tipu. The structure had two floors, whose rooms and the corridors were attractive.

During the invasion of  Srirangapattana in 1792 A.D., Lord Cornwallis stayed in this palace. The dead bodies of British soldiers were also cremated here.

The palace was repaired in 1799 A.D., and Col. Barry Best bena staying here. Afterwards the structure was neglected and it became dilapidated.

The structure was in a ruined state during the visit of Rev Hoole in 1822 A.D. itself. British records say the building was destroyed and the teak wood furnishings reused to build a new structure of the Saint Stephen Church as well as restructuring the Trinity Church at Ooty.

Gumbaz

On the right side of the road to Sangam from Gosai Ghat are the tombs of Hyder, Tipu and their family members. This is the Gumbaz.

Tipu had built the Gumbaz in 1784 A.D., as a tomb for his

father Hyder. British records refer to Gumbaz as a garden full of fruit – flower-bearing plants brought from Kabul and Kandahar. Fruit plants like Mango, Apple, Orange, Lime, Seethaphala, Dalimbe, Rose apple and Hippu Nerale were planted in the garden.

Dalhousie installed the beautiful gates etched in ivory in 1855 A.D. The Gumbaz houses the tombs of Hyder at the centre, his wife Fakrunnisa Seydani Begum to the east, and the tomb of Tipu towards the west.

Their coffins are buried in the cellar. The tombs are covered with shawls of different colours and worshipped daily. Tipu’s eighth son Ghulam Mohammed has given gold lined clothing as an offering to be used on special occasions.

The special festival referred as Tipu Urs is held. Along with the tombs of Hyder Ali (1782 A.D.), and Tipu (1799 A.D.), there are tombs of other army chiefs like Benki Nawab (1799), Imam Saab, Syed Aameed as well as that of Kamaruddin (half brother of Tipu) and his wife (Tipu’s foster mother).

The tomb houses a good library. The structure is surrounded by a pillared corridor.

There is a Masjid adjacent to tomb’s platform. Among the seven Persian records in the Gumbaz, one on the western wall has eight verses in Persian and describes in glittering words, the tomb of Hyder built by Tipu.

The record dated 1799 A.D., on Tipu’s tomb describes profusely in seven Persian and two Arabic verses, the character of Tipu who fought and died while protecting Srirangapatna.

Sangam

Going towards the east from Gumbaz, one can see the beautiful confluence of the northern and southern branches of Cauvery as well as Lokapavani.

There is a PWD travelers Bungalow which originally belonged to Dewan Purnaiah. IT also housed Harris, a British Officer.

The nearby Scott Bungalow is a structure of the Mummadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar regime and was the residence of Col. Scott, an Officer in the British Canon Regiment.

A record dated 1807 A.D. refers to the death of the Col., who became mentally ill, because of the death of his wife and daughter. There is an ancient Sriranganatha temple in the same area which requires publicity.

Pachima Vahini

This is a branch of the southern Cauvery, where the river flows a little bit to the west and then to the east forming a small island in the southwest corner of Srirangapatna. The name Paschima vahini applies to both the river as well as the place. It is a holy place. A bath during Sankranti here has become famous.

The King’s ghat, the bathing ghat, mantapas, aravattiges, temples and feeding houses established by the Mysore kings in this place provides centres for people to perform the yearly ceremonies, immersing the bones and ashes as well as the pindas of their deceased elders.

A ceremony here is believed to provide moksha to the deceased. Now a days even marriages are also held here. The ashes of Mahatma Gandhi were immersed here.

The statue of Hanumantha here was installed by the Madhwa saint Vyasa Raja. The feeding houses of Wodeyar family, Nandi Basappa, Gadi Chaluvaraya Shetty, Chowdayya, Rangacharya of Andapura are in ruins.

The beautiful tomb of Kempananjammanni, the Queen of Khasa Chamaraja Wodeyar, is situated by the side of the Railway line.

Chandravana

This place is one km away from Paschima Vahini. A record here refers to the stone bund built across the river Cauvery during the reign of Hoysala Narasimha and other records refer to the beautiful Stucco sculptures of Narayana, Cheluvaraya and Keshava in the temple of Cheluvarayaswamy.

Between the two temples is the Chamarajeshwara temple built in 1898 A.D. It was built by Mummadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar in the name of his father Chamaraja Wodeyar.

The Cheluvarayaswamy temple is also a structure of the

Mysore kings with beautiful stucco sculptures. The mantapa at a nearby place where the river Cauvery branches, is referred as Gautama Mantapa.

Gautama Kshetra

This is on the other side of the Cauvery and it is believed to be the residence of Gautama and his wife when they stayed here. Therefore, it is called Gautama Kshetra.

Gautama worshipped Ranganatha and Thirumalaraya.

To reach this place one has to cross the branches of Cauvery on old bridge, as well as through the road to Rampur. The bird sanctuary of Ranganatithu is very near to Paschima vahini.