SRIRANGAPATTANA- the Tiger’s Lair

Srirangapattana, renowned for its seemingly impregnable fort, associated with the great ruler Tippu Sultan, is situated at the western end of an oval shaped island formatted by the two branches of the Cauvery, in Mandya district of Karnataka. It is 15 km northeast of Mysore. It is the island fortress of Tippu Sultan, the legendary Tiger of Mysore who put up a valiant fight against British domination. The high stonewalls and moats enclose palaces, with its beautiful frescoes, Wellesley Bridge and the celebrated Sri Ranganatha Temple are other monuments from its chequered past.

Dariya Daulat Palace: The palace located amidst the Dariya Daulat Bagh houses the Tippu Sultan Museum. Built in the year 1784 the structure is in Indo-Islamic style. Constructed mostly of teak wood, the building is rectangular in plan and stands on a raised platform. Open corridors run along its four sides with wooden pillars at the edges of the plinth. The most striking feature of this building is that every inch of space on the walls, pillars, canopies and arches are painted colorfully and artistically.

The paintings emphasize the glorious victory achieved by Haidar and Tippu over the English contingent led by Col. Bailee in the battle at Pollilur near Kanchipuram in 1780.

Timings of Museum: 9 A.M. to 5 P.M.
Admission fees: Rs.2/- per head and free on Fridays.

Masjid-E-Ala: Situated near the Bangalore Gate is the Masjid standing on a high basement with an open court in the open court in the front and a covered verandah with a spacious prayer hall with the “Mihrab” on the west. There is an inscription mentioning the ninety-nine names of Allah and another records the date of its construction by Tippu in 1787 A.D.

Gumbaz: Built by Tippu Sultan between 1782-84, the Gumbaz, an imposing structure in the midst of the Lalbagh garden, stands on a high and wide platform with an open verandah of polished pillars all round. The importance of Gumbaz lies in its well-shaped large dome, ivory inlaid doors, carved stone windows of fine workmanship and inscriptions. Inside are the tombs of Haidar in the center, his wife and his son Tippu on either side. In the verandah and on the platform are the other tombs of Haidar’s family members.

Nimishamba temple: About 3 kms from Srirangapattana there is a famous temple called Sri Nimishamba temple situated on the bank of river Cauvery. It’s an ancient temple and the atmosphere here is quite mind relaxing. It is believed that the main deity Goddess Nimishamba had killed a demon every minute and it is also believed that she blesses her believers every minute.

Ranganathittu: a heaven for winged visitors…
5 kms from Srirangapattana, lush green islands on the river Cauvery, are home for an astonishing variety of migratory birds from as far away as Siberia-Spoon bills, Open Bill Stork, White Ibis, Little Egret, Darter, Pond Heron, Cattle Egret, Cormorant, Wild Duck, Peafowl. A little boat takes you close to the islands where the trees are covered with birds of different species. The only sounds are the cries of birds, swoosh of wings and the ripple of water. Ideal for picnicking and bird watching.
The best time to visit is between June to October.

Melukote: 48 kms from Mysore, on rocky hills is the Cheluva Narayana Temple at Melukote. Ramanujacharya, the Srivaishnava saint-philosopher, took shelter here from his persecutors. In March-April the “Vairamudi” festival draws thousands of pilgrims. Government and private buses and taxis are available.

Somanathapur, 13th century wonders in stone :
35 kms from Mysore, in the small village of Somanathapur, is another temple of great architectural beauty built in the 13th century A.D. The star shaped temple with three shrines named after Prasanna Chennakeshava is the latest and best-preserved example of Hoysala architecture. Frequent buses are available.

Talkad: 45 kms from Mysore is a strange phenomenon-an ancient town buried under centuries of sand. Only the Dravidian style Vaidyeshwara temple is visible above the ground. Once in 12 years, during the Panchalinga Darshana, the sleeping town awakes to festivities and fairs. Government buses, private buses and taxis are available to reach this beautiful place.

Distance in kms of important places from Mysore:
1. Nanjangudu 24 kms
2. Gommatagiri 48 kms
3. Gopalaswamy Betta 68 kms
4. Shivanasamudra (Shimsha Falls) 69 kms
5. Bandipur 83 kms
6. Shravanabelagola 83 kms
7. B.R.Hills 109 kms
8. Madikerii (Marcara) 127 kms
9. Nagarahole 135 kms
10. Belur 158 kms
11. Halebeedu 168 kms
12. M.M.Hills 186 kms
13. Subramanya 224 kms
14. Dharmasthala 267 kms
15. Shringeri 278 kms
16. Kudremukh 285 kms
17. Hornadu 308 kms
18. Ooty 160 kms

K.S.R.T.C. and Private buses are plying to these destinations.

By: D.P.Bhargav for OKC.

Click here if you would like to Contribute.
Click here if you would like to send Feedback.