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Srirangapatna Tourism

Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple - Srirangapatnam

Srirangapatna - Abode of Lord Vishnu

Situated just 13 Km from Mysore, Srirangapatna is surrounded by River Kaveri form all sides. The town gets its name from the famous Temple Ranganathaswamy Temple that dominates the landscape of the town. Due to Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangapatna is an important Vaishnavite site and is frequented by many pilgrims. Srirangapatna once served as the capital of Mysore when Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan ruled over it. This brought the town into recognition then and made it historically important. Tipu Sultan built Srirangapatna as his fortress and used it to launch attacks on British. Tipu sultan built many buildings that are now the main attractions of the city for tourists.

Attractions - Abodes of Peace

Srirangapatna is quite close to Mysore and has also served as its capital under Tipu Sultan. So, many of the attractions that one finds in Srirangapatna, are related to him. There is a palace of Tipu Sultan, a fort built by him and his mausoleum, inside the city.

Ranganathaswamy Temple

Ranganathaswamy Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu as Ranganatha and is located inside the fort. Built in 9th century by Vijayanagara rulers, it is among the largest temples in Karnataka. Entire temple, with the intricate carvings and sculptures, is a marvel in itself. But the main attraction of the temple is the reclining image of Lord Vishnu on the great snake Ananta. The architecture of the temple amalgamates a bit of Hoysala as well as Vijayanagara styles. When Srirangapatna served as the capital of Mysore, it is said that both Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan took good care of the temple. Inside the premises of the temple, there are shrines dedicated to Lord Krishna, Gowtama muni and River Cauvery. The images of Lord Srinivasa and Panchmukha Anjaneya adorn the inner walls of the temple. The pillars that are carved with 24 forms of Lord Vishnu also shows the skills of sculptors during that period.

Somanathapur

Somanathapur is situated at a distance of around 32 Km from Srirangapatna. It is famous for Keshava Temple, which was built here in the year 1268. This Hoysala Temple is considered to be one of the grandest structures that they have built. In fact, the temple was not built by the king, but by his army commander Somnath. The entire history of the temple and its origin is written on a stone slab, which is found at the entrance itself. For its creation, the finest of sculptors were summoned to the town. Thus came into being the ultimate example of temple architecture in Karnataka. There are three splendidly carved sanctums that once had the idol of Lord Keshava, Lord Janardhana and Lord Venugopala. Image of Lord Janardhana, Lord Venugopala are still there but the idol of Lord Keshava is missing.

Dariya Daulat Palace

The palace was built by Tipu Sultan in the year 1784 when Srirangapatna used to be the capital of Mysore. Tipu Sultan used to rule over Mysore from here. Most parts of the palace are built of teakwood. Build in Indo-Sarcenic style, the palace presents an elegant picture of yesteryears. The palace is rectangular in shape and is built on a raised platform. The splendidly structured palace would surely spell bind you but that is not the major attraction of the palace. Once inside, first thing that you will notice is that there is no space left on the walls. Every part of it is covered by numerous frescoes and paintings. There is a museum as well on the top floor. The museum displays collection of Tipu memorabilia, numerous European paintings and rare Persian manuscripts. Near Dariya Daulat Palace, is the fort of Tipu Sultan, which houses the Ranganathaswamy Temple, And outside the fort is Gumbaz.

Gumbaz

Situated just outside the fort is Gumbaz, which is the mausoleum of Tipu Sultan, his father Hyder Ali and his mother Fathima Begum. Gumbaz is an imposing structure, which is situated right in the middle of the beautiful Lalbagh Garden. Built on a platform, Gumbaz has open balcony with polished black basalt pillars on all sides. The doors of the tomb are beautifully carved and engraved with ivory works. Inside the tomb, the final resting place of Hyder Ali is between Tipu Sultan's and Fathima Begum's resting place.

Accommodation in Srirangapatna

Srirangapatna is not a very big town, so not many staying options are available here. The few that are there, are not excessively luxurious, though they are clean, hygienic and provide all the basic facilities. Good hotels in Srirangapatna are Young Island resort and Fort View Resort Pvt. Ltd. and Amblee Holiday Resort, Srirangapatna.

Getting There

By Air

Nearest airport is at Bangalore, which is at a distance of around 123 Km. Bangalore is among the most well connected cities in India with services from all airline operators in India. There is an international airport as well in Bangalore. There are buses that connect Srirangapatna to Bangalore. You can also hire a taxi from airport. It takes around 3 hrs to cover the distance. By 2009 end, Mysore airport will become operational. Mysore is only 13 Km from Srirangapatna

By Rail

Mysore Railway station is the closest railhead to Srirangapatna. It is connected to Bangalore and other cities of Karnataka by regular trains. There are trains from other states as well.

By Road

Srirangapatna is well connected by road to all the major cities in Karnataka. State Highway 17 between Bangalore and Mysore passes through Srirangapatna making it easily accessible. There are regular transport buses that run between Bangalore, Mysore and Srirangapatna.

Local Transportation

Like in other cities of Karnataka, autos are the main mode of transportation of transportation inside the city. Taxis and buses are also present in plenty.