"THE LAST BASTION OF TIPU SRIRANGPATNA" Shrirangapattana by pravdr

srirangpatna lies 13 km away from mysore on an island created by cauvery river. this naturally formed island also worked to its advantage of a natural defence against the enemy.
the rivers rejoin to form the sangam(confluence) a place of great religious importance.While the main river flows on the eastern side of the island, the Paschima Vaahini segment of the same river flows to its west.
the town takes its name from the famed sri ranganathswamy temple its most prestigious asset which has stood here since 9th century.the temple is a medley of hoysala and vijaynagar style of architecture.initially built by ganga dynasty but improved upon by the hoysalas and vijaynagar empire.
Tradition holds that all the islands formed in the Kaveri River are consecrated to Sri Ranganathaswamy, and large temples have been built in very ancient times dedicated to that deity on the three largest islands. These three towns, which constitute the main pilgrimage centers dedicated to Ranganathaswamy, are:

Adi Ranga - at Srirangapattana (first)
Madhya Ranga - at Shivanasamudra (middle)
Antya Ranga - at Srirangam (last) the srirangam temple is considered to be the largest functioning hindu temple in the world.with a perimeter of 4km and gopuram of 236ft.
The Paschima Vaahini section of the Kaveri at Srirangapattana is considered especially sacred; the pious come from far and wide to immerse the ashes of the departed and perform obsequies to their ancestors in these waters.
a shiva lingam can be seen inside the rocky promonotories in the sangam.

A RICH CANOPY FORMED AT DARIA DAULAT BAGH

Srirangapattana has since time immemorial been an urban center and place of pilgrimage.
during vijaynagar empire it was the seat of viceroyalty from where areas like mysore and talakad were controlled.
when vijaynagar empire caved in rulers of mysore asserted independence.raja wodeyar defeated rangaraja then viceror of srirangpatna in 1610.
he then celebrated the victory by holding dusshera the 10 day navratri festival which continues to be celebrated even today and has become synonymous with mysore.the other prerequisite to rule mysore was the holding of the fort of srirangpatna.
srirangpatna became the capital of mysore state under hyder ali and tipu sultan.tipu proclaimed the khudadad state.
In that heady period, the state ruled by Tipu extended its frontiers in every direction, encompassing a major portion of South India. Srirangapattana flourished as the cosmopolitan capital of this powerful state. Various Indo-Islamic monuments that dot the town, such as Tipu Sultan's palaces, the Darya Daulat and the Jumma Maseedi (Friday congregational mosque), date from this period.

A MUTE WITNESS TO THE EMPIRE THAT ONCE WAS

Battle of Seringapatam, 1799: Srirangapattana was the scene of the last and decisive battle fought between Tipu Sultan and the British forces led by General Harris. This battle was the last engagement of the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War. The Battle of Seringapatam (as the british pronounced it), 1799, was truly momentous in its historic effects.

Tipu Sultan was killed within the fort of Srirangapattana, betrayed infamously by one of his own confidants; the spot where he ultimately fell is marked by a memorial.the hoally gateway where tipu fell is marked by his death place even today.

the British proceeded to plunder Srirangapattana and ransack Tipu's palace. Apart from the usual gold and cash, innumerable valuables and objects d'art, not excepting even the personal effects of Tipu Sultan, his rich clothes and shoes, sword and firearms, were shipped to England. While most of this is now to be found in the British Royal Collection and in the Victoria and Albert Museum, some articles have occasionally become available at auctions and have been retrieved for their native land.

tipu sultans sword was recently aquired by ub group chairperson vijay mallya at sothebys auction.

• Pros:terrific historical town
• Cons:slightly unkempt
• In a nutshell:a historical fort town you must visit