Srirangapatna situated in Mandya district of Karnataka. This place located about 127 kilometers from Bangalore and 13 kilometers from Mysore is a town with great historical, cultural and religious significance. Srirangapatna is known for its magnificent temples, forts and palaces which stand testimony for the glorious days of a bygone era. The place is named after Sri Ranganatha, the presiding deity of the Sri Ranganatha Swamy temple which is the chief attraction in the city.
Srirangapatna town is surrounded by river Cauvery from all sides. So it is also known as “Island Fortress”. This place also has scenic spots of astounding beauty. Srirangapatna’s history dates back to 9th century during which it was a part of Ganga Dynasty, and later it was brought under Vijayanagara Empire. The town also great recognition when it served as the capital city under Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultans rule. Several monuments relating to Tipu’s rule are sprinkled across the island.
Srirangpatna is a place most sought after by historians, pilgrims and tourist. This place has something to offer for everybody.
Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple
The town gets its name from this temple. The temple is Vishnu’s manifestation who is worshiped here as Sri Ranganatha. The deity is portrayed as reclining on the bed of Aadi Sesha, the snake. Built in the 9th century by the Gangas the temple has seen various embellishments over the years by the kings of Vijayanagar and Hoysala dynasties. Motifs of all the 24 forms of Vishnu are engraved on the four pillars in the temple. The prakaram of the temple is beautifully painted with mythological stories and is example of great workmanship of the artisans. Other shrines within the temple complex are those of Lord Srinivasa, Sri Krishna, Vaishnava Acharya and Vaishnavite Gurus.
Nimishambha Temple
Nimishambha Temple is located on the banks of river Cauvery. This ancient temple is dedicated to Goddess Nimishamba who is believed to be an incarnation of Goddess Parvati. The temple was built by Mummadi Krishnaraja Odeyar about 300 to 400 years ago. The temple gets its name from the Goddess who is supposed to cure people’s problems within a minute. Shrichakra is carved on a stone which is placed in front of the Goddess. This srichakra was inscribed by a king named Muktharaja before going into penance.
Daria Daulat Bagh
This Summer Palace which was one of Tipu’s favorite retreats was built by him in the year 1784. This Indo-Saracenic structure is a two-storied building built mainly of teak. It is situated on the bank of Cauvery River and has many beautiful painting on the walls and ceilings that depict the victories of Hyder All and Tipu. Set amidst a sprawling garden with manicured lawns and flowerbeds, Daria Daulat Bagh at present houses a museum which is better known as the Tipu Sultan Museum. The museum has excellent collection of Tipu’s personal belongings, gold and copper coins, weapons like swords, cannons of different sizes etc.
Srirangapatna Fort
The fort built in Indo-Islamic architecture style and there are two dungeons within the fort precincts, where prisoners were held captive. Fort was built in a double wall defense and has four entry gates called Delhi, Bangalore, Mysore & Water and Elephant. Within the Fort there is a Mosque and the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple. One of the highlights of the fort is gateway which bears an inscription in Persian which mentions the year of construction of the fort. ‘The storming of Seringapattam’ by Sir Robert Ker is also an attraction here. Tipu Sultan breathed his last within the fort while fighting the British soldiers.
Tipu’s Place of Death
The double-walled Srirangapatna Fort was where Tipu Sultan’s body was found. An obelisk in the Fort marks the place where he was killed. On May 4 1799 AD, in the fourth Mysore war betrayed by his own commander the Tiger of Mysore met his death fighting British soldiers here. Col Wellesley impressed by the great valour of Tipu Sultan erected a plaque at the spot where Tipu’s body was found
Gumbaz
This imposing structure was built by Tipu Sultan in 1784 AD as the final resting place for his parents Hyder Ali and Fathima Begam. After Tipu's death, he was also buried in this Gumbaz. The Gumbaz laid amidst a garden has a magnificent dome which crowns the building and inlaid doors which are engraved with beautiful ivory work. The Tiger stripes that were associated with Tipu cover the walls of the chamber. There are also numerous other tombs of the relatives of Tipu's family here.
Masjid-E-Ala or Jamia Masjid
The mosque is situated near the Bangalore Gate of the fort. Built by Tipu Sultan in 1787 the mosque has beautiful carved flowery designs on the roof and pillars. It has two majestic minarets and there are 200 steps leading to the top of the minarets from where one can a get a splendid view. The mosque has spacious prayer hall with the “Mihrab” on the west covered by a veranda. First imamath at this mosque was performed by Tipu Sultan himself.
Colonel Bailey’s Dungeon
This Dungeon is named after Colonel Bailey who died here in 1780 A.D. the vaulted dungeon measuring 30.5 mts x 12.2 mts was built in brick and mortar. This dungeon was used to imprison British prisoners. Captain Baird and Rulay, Colonel Brithwhite Sampson, Frazer and Lindsay were imprisoned here by Tipu Sultan.
There is another dungeon named Imam’s dungeon which is located to the east of Tipu’s death place.
Sangam
This place is just 3 km away from Srirangapatna near the Gumbaz. River Lokapavani which is other branch of river Cauvery joins Cauvery here. There is temple here and dip in the Sangam is considered to be holy by the Hindus. This is one of the popular picnics spots located in Srirangapatna.
Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary
Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary is about 4 kms from Srirangapatna. Ranganthittu is home to some of the most exotic birds. It is a paradise for bird watchers and ornithologists It is a group of small islands in the Cauvery River. The sanctuary is a nesting and breeding centre for a wide species migratory as well as local birds including cormorants, darters, white ibis, spoon billed storks, open billed storks, painted storks, white necked storks, egrets, herons, terns, swallows, kingfishers, sandpiper etc. The birds fly over from countries as far as Siberia, Australia and North America. The best time to visit this place is between Feb to April as this the breeding season and more than 25,000 come to Ranganthittu for nesting. One can also find many marsh crocodiles here.
How to reach Srirangpatna
There is a small railway station at Srirangapatna, most of the express trains stops at Srirangapatna but only for a couple of minutes. Mysore railway station is the nearest major rail head to Srirangapatna at a distance of 17kms. Mysore domestic airport is the nearest air terminal, which is nearly 14 km away from Srirangapatna. Bangalore is the nearest international airport which is at a distance of 140 km away from Mysore. Srirangapatna can also be reached by road. Srirangapatna is well connected by road to all the major cities in Karnataka. The highway that connects Bangalore with Mysore (SH17) passes through Srirangapatna town. Frequent bus services are also available from Mysore to Srirangpatna.
Accommodation
Since it is a popular weekend getaway from Bangalore there are a few accommodation options available here though not excessively luxurious but offer a comfortable stay. There are also a number of resorts on the banks of river Cauvery.