Largely known for its religious, historical, and cultural significance, Srirangapatna is an important part of Karnataka. It is a small ancient city, an island formed by the Kaveri River in the district of Mandya. The Kaveri River bounds the city from all sides and the island is a beautiful place with an area of about 13 square k.m. It is believed that one of the nearby islands was visited by Lord Buddha in ancient times. He also stayed on the island for a brief time period. However, today Srirangapatna is more popular as the religious town of Lord Vishnu.
The town is one of the most revered places in India, especially amongst the Vaishnavites. The name of the town is based on the reference of a local god Srirangapatna who is considered an incarnation of Lord Vishnu himself. There is an ancient temple called Ranganathaswamy temple with the presiding deity of Srirangapatna. It is the very core of the town and the entire town is built surrounding the temple. There is always a long queue of devotees and visitors waiting for their turn to worship the lord and get his blessings. The construction of the temple began in the 9th Century; the rulers of the Ganga dynasty commenced the construction. However, it took about three subsequent centuries to completely built the structure. So the architecture of the temple is the medley of temple architecture styles of the Hoysala and the Vijayanagara.
The Ganga Dynasty rulers were the first monarch of the Srirangapatna. Dethroning them, the rulers of Vijayanagara Empire came into play. It is under their reign the town flourished into a prosperous city and as an important centre of religious learning. They were later defeated by the Wodeyar kings in the 16th century. Raja Wodeyar, to mark his victory over the Vijayanagara rulers for Srirangapatna, celebrated a ten-day long festival of Navratri dedicating it to the goddess Chamundeshwari, the patron goddess of Mysore. Defeating the Wodeyars, Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan came into power over the region.
However, in 1799, Tipu Sultan lost the town fighting against the joint troops of British soldiers and men of the Nizams of Hyderabad. It is in the same battle that Tipu Sultan was betrayed by his comrades and was killed in the Seringapatam fort. Later, a memorial was built on the place where he ultimately fell. Today, the memorial and the fort are the two of the most significant attractions of Srirangapatna tourism. If one is in the town, a visit to the site is a must-do. The good thing is that there are a number of 3 star hotels in Srirangapatna in close proximity. If one seeks conveniences of close connectivity, the hotels are ideal options to pick from.
The most popular places to visit in Srirangapatna include: Srirangapatnam Fort, Venkataramana Temple, Gumbaz, Masjid-E-Ala, Dodda Ghosai Ghat, Nimishamba Temple, Colonel Bailey’s Dungeon, Kere Thonnur, Shivanasamudra Falls, Karighatta, Mahadevapura, Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, and Sangam. Appointing a tour guide is the best way to explore and experience the town. Besides, some Srirangapatna hotels also offer tour services to their guests.
Dimpy Roy is a travel writer working with an Online Travel Guide. She guides travelers to various resources where they can find best hotels in Srirangapatna and choose the suitable one.