Srigangapatna

Srirangapatna occupies an island enclosed by the Kaveri, whose waters protected one of the great strongholds of southern India. The town takes its name from the temple of Ranganatha, a reclining form of Vishnu and the focus of a long-established pilgrimage. Its fort occupies the western part of the island, with walls, gates and storehouses adapted to its position between the branches of the river. Under Vijayanagara the town became the seat of a viceroy, and its fortifications were strengthened.

In 1610 Raja Wodeyar of Mysore took the island and made it his capital. For nearly two centuries it remained the centre of the kingdom, from which the Wodeyars and later Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan governed their growing territories. Tipu added buildings including the Jami Masjid, while the fort housed his arsenal and military stores. The island became the object of repeated campaigns during the wars between Mysore and the British East India Company. In 1792 Tipu accepted a treaty after a British siege, surrendering territory and two sons as hostages. A final assault in May 1799 broke through the defences and Tipu was killed near a gateway. The victors restored the Wodeyars under British protection, and the royal capital returned to Mysore. The temple, the fortress and the remains of Tipu’s court bear witness to the different powers that made the island their seat.