Srirangapatnam, Mysore.

Jamia Masjid

As mentioned here, Srirangapatnam deserves a separate mention or two. Being Tippu Sultan’s capital the landscape here is dotted with monuments in connection to this great ruler of South India. One of the first monuments you’ll notice once you enter Tippu-land is the Jamia Masjid. Built in 1787 A.D., the mosque has two Octagonal minarets. A few meters down the road and one can find the place where Tippu’s martyred body was found. There’s a commemorative stone placed here, in memory of the King who stood against the mighty British.



Col Bailey's Dungeon



A kilometer ahead is the Colonel Bailey’s Dungeon. If you thought Colonel Bailey used this dungeon to imprison Tippu’s soldiers, then you are wrong (as was I). The dungeon is so named because this was where Col. Bailey died while being a prisoner of Tippu. This dungeon also housed other prominent British figures like General Baird and Colonel Brithwite among others. Apparently prisoners were chained to the walls in a standing position and dungeon flooded with cold water till waist height. Quite ironically there’s a canon bang in the middle of this dungeon. Legend has it that the canon fell through the roof while it was being used against the British. There’s still a gaping hole in the ceiling, which is testimony to this theory.



Daria Daulat Bagh

 Daria Daulat Bagh (Tippu’s Summer Palace): You cannot come to Srirangapatnam and not visit Daria Daulat Bagh. Even though this is Tippu’s summer palace, it is more of a garden than a palace, as the name suggests. This summer palace of Tippu is nestled in thick green cover and lush carpet of grass. And keeping with the color all around, the palace is painted green. The exterior painting of the palace is just an example of the things to come inside. It wouldn’t be unfair to state that, not an inch of the walls and the ceilings have not been touch upon with a brush. And this is not just a coat of paint. Every wall and ceiling is adorned with paintings of the Tippu’s armies and gardens and flowers and random patterns. The palace is now converted into a museum containing artifacts and paintings – both by locals and Britishers.
The garden here double up as playground for kids who are bound to have a gala time. Must-visit place if you are in Srirangapatnam.

Nimishamba Temple

Next up – Nimishamba Temple. Well, this temple has hardly got anything to do with Tippu and his kingdom. But it was in the heartland of Tippu and on the way to Gol Gumbaz. Hence we stopped by. This timple is situated in the banks of River Cauvery and about 1km from Daria Daulat Bagh on the way to Gol Gumbaz. Now, here’s why you must visit Nimishamba. It is believed that Nimishamba (re-incarnation of Goddess Parvathi) removes all obstacles in your life within a minute and hence the name (Nimisha = Minute in Kannada). It is also believed that whatever you pray for here will be granted. So who doesn’t want to visit here? Let me also mention why you might want to skip this temple. Well for starters, this looks like an average Indian temple. Nothing spectacular in the architecture or the atmosphere. If you are lucky you may get a “darshanam” in half hour. Also watch out for the crows who replace the monkeys as the traditional bullies at sought-after picnic spots. These skilled crows can grab food from right out of your hand while you were contemplating on less important matters like hike in petrol prices.



Gol Gumbaz

 Gol Gumbaz – A fascinating name for a not so impressive tomb. I say this in comparison with the Qutub Shahi tombs of Hyderabad. There’s a single tomb which has the remains of Tippu Sultan and his parents. The complex also houses tombs of various other relatives of the king. By this time the Sun was out and doing a good job at sapping out energies. Considering that we still had to complete our next leg of our tour - Mysore Palace (a.k.a Amba Vilas), a much needed revitalization was in order. The women indulged in some shopping to regain their energy while I hydrated myself sitting in the air-conditioned confines of the car, before hitting the road again.

Getting-there: 130kms from Bangalore. 20kms before Mysore.
Must-Do: Have plenty of time on your hands to have a leisure trip.
Must-Don't: Vandalism.

My Rating: 5/10