One day trip to Srirangapatna from Bangalore – exploring the historical town of Srirangapatna

Although there is no shortage of places to visit around Bangalore. And in our own 15 years in Bangalore, we have explored so many weekend getaways around Bangalore. Somehow, we never happened to explore the historical town of Srirangapatna. Although we crossed this town countless times earlier. On our trip to the Royal city of Mysore, several trips to Ooty and Destiny Farmstay, when we went to the Peepal Tree Kabini and explored Coorg. And so many more times. Not sure why we never happened to make a trip to Srirangapatna. But with the convenience of car rental in Bangalore, exploring Srirangapatna has become easier than ever before. Even if you don’t have your own vehicle, you can always rent one in a blink!!

After 15 years, finally came the weekend when we decided to strike off some long pending bucketlist items on our travel list. Including a trip exploring Srirangapatna. And an overnight stay at Royal Orchid Brindavan Gardens. And it was only after visiting Srirangapatna that I discovered how diverse are the places that this historical town has got to offer. In just one day trip to Srirangapatna from Bangalore, you can explore waterfalls, bird sanctuary, one of the largest Vishnu temples, a fort, a mosque and so much more. So, let us take you through our list of favourite places to explore on a one day trip to Srirangapatna from Bangalore , in the order in which we explored them.

 

 

Triveni Sangam at Srirangapatna

Our first stop on our one day trip to Srirangapatna from Bangalore was “Triveni sangam” – the union of river Arkavathi and river Kaveri. The place is very beautiful with rocky banks and crystal clear water of the river flowing through them. This place is considered very holy by the Hindu religion. And people take a dip in the river here which is considered auspicious. It is also a place of “Asthi Visarjan” – where the ashes of the dead are submerged in the temple by the Hindus. And “kal sharp yog puja” is held on the banks of the river here.

Sangam timing : open all through the day

Srirangapatna Fort or Tipu Sultan Fort

Constructed in 1537 AD, the Srirangapatna Fort was a strategic residence of Tipu Sultan, with the Kaveri river protecting it from three sides. The Srirangapatna Fort stands a proud memory of the victory of Tipu Sultan over the British empire during his battle with them. There are several paintings and murals adorning the fort walls that showcase the battlefield and the victory of Tipu Sultan. There are even 2 dungeons in the fort campus where the British soldiers were detained when arrested. You can also see strategic locations inside the fort where canyons were placed. In fact, this is the place where Tipu Sultan and his army fought their last battle against the British. And Tipu Sultan died here.

Several structures and monuments of the Srirangapatna Fort are maintained as protected under the Archeological Survey of India under their Bangalore division. Some of the structures which you can still witness are :

• Colonel Bailey’s Dungeon
• Daria Daulat Bagh
• Tomb of Tipu Sultan and the gumbaj above it
• Juma Masjid
• The spot on the fort wall near which Tipu’s body was found.
• Sri Kanthirava statue in Narasimha Temple
• Thomas Inman’s Dungeon
• Sri Rangatha Swamy Temple

The architecture of Srirangapatna fort resembles an Indo-Islamic architecture. Given, since it’s initial inception, construction in the fort continued through several dynasties of Hindu and Muslim rulers. Even the French contributed to strengthening the fort. As they didn’t want it to fall in the hands of the British East India Company.

Srirangapatna Fort Timings : 8:00am to 5:30pm

A light and sound show is also conducted in the Srirangapatna Fort after 6:00pm that takes one through the journey of life and valour of Tipu Sultan.

Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple

Our next stoppage on the one day trip to Srirangapatna from Bangalore was Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple. This temple is dedicated to Lord Ranganatha – an avatar of Vishnu.  In fact, Sri Ranganathaswamy temple is considered one of the 5 most important Hindu shrines. The presiding deity of this temple is the Adi Ranga, or the ‘first Ranga’. And inside, the Lord is seen residing in a reclining position. The temple is located on the bank of the river Kaveri.

Architecture wise, it has very intricate carvings and beautiful sculptures that you will start noticing right from the entrance as you reach the main “Gopuram” of the temple. Inside, all around the main shrine, you will discover beautiful architecture, intricately carved stone work. Something that reminded me of the other ancient temples of India that I have visited, including the Halebidu Hoysaleshwara Temple and the Veerupaksha Temple and other temples of Aihole and Pattadakala and Badami.

The construction of the temple started in 984 AD by Tirumalaiah, who belonged to the Western Ganga Dynasty. And subsequently, there were several rulers and dynasties that continued adding to the architecture of the temple.

Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple timing : 7:30 AM to 1:00 PM , 4:00 PM to 8:30 PM

Temple entry fee : Free

Special (fast) darshan ticket at Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple : INR 250 per person

Although special darshan won’t be required in usual days as there is not much crowd. Particularly if you target to reach here before noon.

We saw an “e-handi” in the Rangnathaswamy temple, and were amazed at the digitalisation that India has achieved in the last few years. We did make our donations through the e-handi!

Rangnathittu Bird Sanctuary, Srirangapatna

The next stop on our trip to Srirangapatna was Rangnathittu Bird Sanctuary. Rangnathittu Bird Sanctuary is the largest bird Sanctuary of Karnataka. Bird watching, boating and photography of the beautiful natural landscapes around are some of the activities that one can enjoy at Rangnathittu Bird Sanctuary. There are  170 species of bird to be found here. The major ones beings Painted Stork, Common Spoonbill, Asian Openbill Stork, Black-headed Ibis, and Woolly-necked Stork. There is a biodiversity center here that houses some animals as well like the flying fox, the Bonnet Macaque, Monitor Lizard and Indian Grey Mongoose.

My elder kid who is in the third standard, particularly enjoyed our trip to Rangnathittu Bird Sanctuary. As she has a few lessons dedicated to different bird and animal species. And spotting them in their natural habitat was a real fun and exciting thing for her. A visit to Rangnathittu Bird Sanctuary can be a real learning experience for kids and adults alike. By the way, this was our first visit to a bird sanctuary in India. We had missed an opportunity earlier on our trip to Kumarakom. But after visiting the Rangnathittu Bird Sanctuary, I guess we are soon going to do more of these trips. I will soon dedicate a post with all the details of Rangnathittu Bird Sanctuary.

Timings of Rangnathittu Bird Sanctuary: 9:00 am to 6:00 pm

• Kalyani Siddhi Vinayaka Temple located right in front of the Ranganathaswamy Temple
•  Lakshminarasimha Swamy Temple
• Jyothi Mahaswara Temple
• Bidhcotta Ganesha Temple
• Panduranga Swamy Temple
• Sathyanarayana Swamy Temple
• Anjunaya Swamy Temple
• Ayyapa Temple
• Gangadhareswara Swamy Temple
• RaganathaNagara Ganesha Temple
• The Black Hill and temple on top of it
• Summer palace of Tipu Sultan

You can also combine a trip to Srirnagapatna with one to Sula Vineyard, Channapatna Toy Factories and Janapadaloka Museum. And if time permits, you can further explore Ramnagara and Mysore as well with Srirangapatna.

 

 

Best time to visit Srirangapatna

Srirangapatna is a year round destination. However, if you want to see the rivers Kaveri and Arkavati in their full glory then plan to visit Srirangapatna in the monsoon months of June to September. During this time, it’s also often cloudy. Which will make exploring the above places on your one day trip to Srirangapatna from Bangalore all the more pleasant. Like the experience we had exploring Chitradurga Fort in the month of August. Although even the winter months from October to Februrary will be good to explore Srirangapatna.

How to reach Srirangapatna

The nearest airport to Srirangapatna is Mysore and the second nearest is Bangalore. From Mysore, Srirangapatna is a mere 30 minutes drive away. And from Bangalore it is around 2.5 hours drive away. As I write this post, the Mysore – Bangalore highway is being renovated and it will soon be an expressway. Drastically reducing the time to travel to Mysore and Srirangapatna from Bangalore. Thus making it all the more pleasant to do a one day trip to Srirangapatna from Bangalore.

Where to stay near Srirangapatna

Srirangapatna is a small town with limited stay options. However, Mandya town which is nearby has a few stay options. And there are many more in Mysore. You can browse the list of hotels in Mysore here. If you want to stay at Bangalore and visit Srirangapatna from Bangalroe on a day trip, even that will be very convenient. Here is a list of hotels in Bangalore that you can browse through. When we planned our one day trip to Srirangapatna from Bangalore, we took a night halt at Royal Orchid Brindavan Gardens. As the name suggests, this luxury hotel is built overlooking the beautiful Brindavan Gardens at Krisnasagar Dam, one of the most beautiful gardens of South India. And provides for a very comfortable and memorable stay. I will share soon my experience staying at the Royal Orchid Brindavan Gardens.

General tips on doing a one day trip to Srirnagapatna from Bangalore

• Wear comfortable walking shoes.
• Carry water and some snacks with you, particularly when visiting with kids.
• You can have your breakfast at one of the many joints on the Bangalore – Mysore highway before reaching Srirangapatna.
• For lunch, you can head to Mysore or you can have near the Srirangapatna Fort at one of the local joints.
• As usual, washrooms can be a challenge. Use the ones at petrol pumps and the restaurants that you stop at, which are clean enough.
• If visiting on a sunny day, use sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat or cap for that extra protection from the sun.
• You can also cover all spots on your one day trip to Srinrangapatna from Bangalore in one day and return back the same day. Just start early to avoid traffic.

Our itinerary on our one day trip to Srirangapatna from Bangalore

 

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