Srirangapattana is a small town, its monuments and forts silently telling the historic saga of Mysore and various dynasties of the past. It is situated about 19 kms from Mysore. Its name was derived from the Ranganatha Temple, a famous centre of Hindu pilgrimage. This was the base from where Hyder Ali and his son Tippu Sultan, who usurped power from the Mysore Maharajas, fought the British. Srirangapattana was the capital of Hyder Ali. It is an island surrounded on all four sides by the holy river Cauvery. The fort, the Dariya Daulat, the dungeon, the mosque and the tomb of Hyder Ali and Tippu are some of the interesting tourist places here.

The history of Srirangapattana is as old as the epic legends. It is believed that lord Rama, passed through Srirangapattana. The Puranas say that sage Gowthama meditated at this sacred place and hence came to be known as Gowthama Kshetra. Early in the Christian era, the Satavahana dynasty and later the Pallavas, Kadamas and Gangas held sway over the place.

Getting there

Rail: Mysore is connected to all major cities via Bangalore. All trains going to Mysore pass through Srirangapattana.

Road: There are private and KSRTC bus services via Mysore and Bangalore to all major cities.

Local Transport: Private taxis, auto rickshaws and local bus services. KSRTC operates large number of services to several destinations in the State. City buses also operate covering tourist spots. Private taxies are also available. KSTDC conducts tours to important places.

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Where to stay

Mysore which is about 15 kms from here has a large number of hotels to suit all budgets and preferences.

Top End Accommodation

• Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel, Mysore.

• Best Western Ramanshree, L-43/A, Hardinge Circle.

Middle Budget Accommodation

• Hotel Metropole, Jhansi Lakshmibai Road, Mysore.

• Paradise Hotel 104, Vivekananda Road, Yadavgiri.

• Kings Kourt Hotel, Jhansi Lakshmi Bai Road.

• Quality Inn Southern Star, Vinoba Road.

• Hotel Dasaprakash Paradise, Vivekanand Road.

• Mayura Yathri Nivas, Mysore.

• Hotel Dasaprakash, Near Gandhi Square.

Bottom-End Accommodation

• Rajendra Vilas Palace, Chamundi Hills.

• Hotel Siddharta, 73/1 Guest House, Nazarbad.

• New Gayathri Bhawan, Dhanvantri Road.

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What to see

Lal Mahal: The remains of Tippu's beautiful palace, Lal Mahal, are visible even now in the high enclosures of the fort. The British, who used it for some time as a military post, after killing Tippu in the Mysore war in 1799 A.D., demolished the greater part of this palace. There are two dungeons, one at the north-east corner of the fort and the other, a bigger one, which is near the Ranganatha temple. Both of them have low-vaulted brick roofs. It is said that Tippu had kept Dhondia Wagh, a Maratha warrior in the former and some British prisoners in the latter.

Close to the ruins of Lal Mahal, a memorial stone has been erected. It marks the place where Tipu Sultan was killed in the fateful war. There is also the gateway leading to the river Cauvery from inside the fort. On the western side of the fort wall, a commemorative pillar has been erected. The pillar shows the point from where the British army made a breach in the fort wall, after crossing the river Cauvery, and entered into the city to defeat Tippu Sultan and his army.

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Dariya Daulath Bagh: On the south bank of the river Cauvery, outside the fort, Tippu laid out a large garden, which he called Dariya Daulath Bagh. There he constructed in 1784, a summer palace which was his favourite retreat. The graceful proportions and the arabesque work in rich colours, with which it is covered, render the palace highly attractive. He named it Dariya Daulath, which means "wealth of the sea". It may be noted that by then his conquests had extended up to the seas. The building is a fine specimen of Indo-Saracenic architecture. On one side of the walls are depicted the battles the father and son fought against the British and on the other the paintings of the then rulers and chieftains of the princely states on the other side of the wall.

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Gumbaz: At the eastern end of Srirangapattana is the Gumbaz or mausoleum which was built by Tippu for his father. At Gumbaz, Tippu and his mother are also buried. It is an impressive square structure. A central dome with minarets at the angles add to its beauty. Gumbaz is surrounded by a corridor supported by pillars of black hornblende. It partly resembles the famous Taj Mahal at Agra but is less profusely ornamented. The interior is painted in lacquer with tiger stripes adopted by Tippu for the military uniforms. The double doors inlaid with ivory were presented by Lord Dalhousie. Outside the tomb are buried some of the kins of Tippu Sultan.

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Jumma Masjid: The Jumma Masjid is a grand mosque constructed by Tippu. It has two lofty minarets noted for their majesty and grace. A flight of about 200 steps leads to the top of each of the minars. There are fine Persian inscriptions, one giving the date of construction as 1787 A.D and others containing extracts from the Koran and the 99 names of Allah.

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Ranganatha Swamy Temple: The Sri Ranganatha Temple, from which the name Srirangapattana is derived, is one of the three most important temples in South India dedicated to Lord Ranganatha. With a majestic tower, it is one of the biggest temples in the State. The temple was built over 1,000 years ago. It was extended by the Vijayanagara king in 1454 A.D.

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