Interested in history? Curious to know more about Tipu sultan? Then you should visit this place.  When I was planning to visit Mysore for dussera, I thought of visiting Srirangapattana too  as it is on the way to mysore from Bangalore.

A little About Shrirangapattana

Srirangapatana map

Shrirangapattana (also spelled Shrirangapattana; anglicized to Seringapatam during the British Raj) is a town in Mandya district of the Indianstate of Karnataka. It is located near the city of Mysore and is of great religious, cultural and historic importance. Shrirangapattna is an egg-shaped island formed by the two subdivisions of river Cauvery. It is located in the district of Mandya. The whole of the town is surrounded by the River Kaveri and gives a look of an island. History says that Lord Buddha visited and remained on one of the islands near Srirangapatnam.

How to reach :

Almost every bus from Bangalore to Mysore has a stop here.
If you are coming from mysore, you can even catch local buses towards Shrirangapattanam.

Places of interest in Srirangapatna :

Jumma Masjid:

The first and nearest place to cover. The mosque situated near the Bangalore Gate of the fort buit by Tippu Sultan. It is said that he performed the first imamath himself. 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.

Place of Martyrdom :

The place where Tippu Sultan’s body was found.The place where Tippu Sultan’s body was found.In the fourth Mysore war the British laid siege to Srirangapatana on 4th May 1799 AS and effectively breached the fort at watergate.On hearing of this storming of the enemy, Tipu moved in posthaste to the spot, and in the fight, fell to the bullet of a British soldier. It was here the body of Tipu Sultan was identified and recovered amidst heaps of the dead soldiers.In recognition of the valiant Tipu, Colonel Wellesley set a stone tablet to mark the spot.

Ranganathaswamy Temple :

The temples is one of the most important Vaishnavite shrines in South India. It is built by the Gangas in 9th century, later improved by the Hoysala and Vijayanagar kings.

Colonel Bailey’s Dungeon :

Named after Colonel Bailey who died here in 1780 A.D., this dungeon was used to imprison British prisoners like  Captain Baird, Colonel Brithwite, Captain Rulay, Frazer, Samson and Lindsay by Tipu Sultan. The dungeon measures 30.5 metres width 12.2 metres height and is built of brick and mortar.

The Obelisk :

220 yards away from the dungeon a monument lies. The monument is known as The Obelisk. The Obelisk marks the place where Tipu Sultan breathed his last when he was trying to stop a British soldier from pulling his legendary sword from its sheath. He was killed in this encounter due to the betrayal of his own men.

The following three places are other side of the town.You can all these three in a row.

Daria Daulat Bagh ( Summer Palace of Tipu Sultan ) :

Built in 1784, this Summer Palace was one of Tipu’s favourite retreats. It stands on a raised platform at a height of 1.5 metres. The Bagh is situated on the banks of Cauvery river has treasured the paintings, engraving, arms that depict the Valant victories and Struggles of Tipu Sultan.

Gumbaz :

Mausoleum of Tippu Sultan, and his father Hyder Ali and mother Fathima Begam. This was 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.

Sangam :

Sangam is a spot 3 km away from Srirangapatna where the other branch of the river Cauvery – Loakpavani is reunited in jubilant enthusiasm. The Sangam is otherwise known as the confluence of rivers. It is located near a temple.