Srirangapatna - Abode of Lord Vishnu:
Situated just 13 Km from Mysore, Srirangapatna is surrounded by River Kaveri form all sides. The town gets its name from the famous Temple Ranganathaswamy Temple that dominates the landscape of the town. Due to Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangapatna is an important Vaishnavite site and is frequented by many pilgrims. Srirangapatna once served as the capital of Mysore when Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan ruled over it. This brought the town into recognition then and made it historically important. Tipu Sultan built Srirangapatna as his fortress and used it to launch attacks on British. Tipu sultan built many buildings that are now the main attractions of the city for tourists.
Ranganathaswamy Temple:
As we are all aware, Lord Vishnu has taken various forms for the welfare and protection of various creations of Lord Brahma. One such Temple is Sri Jaganmohana Ranganatha Swamy Temple at Shivanasamudra in Mandya District of Karnataka State. The presiding Deity of the Temple is Sri Ranganatha, A form of Lord Vishnu sleeping on the bed of Adishesha, the sacred snake of Lord Vishnu himself with his Hood providing shelter to the Lord. The Temple is located on the banks of the river Cauvery.Altogether, there are 3 most sacred, powerful and important temples of Lord Ranganatha and each of them is known by a different name. The three temples are located at Srirangapatna, Shivanasamudra and Srirangam.It is beleived that on any given day starting from Sunrise to Sunset, if one visits all the three Temples and worships the deities and seeks the blessings, his Sins are washed off and he is blessed with Peace,Happiness and abundant wealth.
This is dedicated to Lord Vishnu as Ranganatha and is located inside the fort. Built in 9th century by Vijayanagara rulers, it is among the largest temples in Karnataka. Entire temple, with the intricate carvings and sculptures, is a marvel in itself. But the main attraction of the temple is the reclining image of Lord Vishnu on the great snake Ananta. The architecture of the temple amalgamates a bit of Hoysala as well as Vijayanagara styles. When Srirangapatna served as the capital of Mysore, it is said that both Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan took good care of the temple. Inside the premises of the temple, there are shrines dedicated to Lord Krishna, Gowtama muni and River Cauvery. The images of Lord Srinivasa and Panchmukha Anjaneya adorn the inner walls of the temple. The pillars that are carved with 24 forms of Lord Vishnu also shows the skills of sculptors during that period.he sacred Deity of Lord Ranganatha known as Madhya Ranga worshipped and decorated with Flowers, Thulasi, etc. One can notice the Lord sleeping on the bed formed by the Sacred snake Adishesha. The speciality of this temple is that the snake is seven headed whereas in the remaining two Temples, the snake is five headed. The idol is believed to be a Shaligrama Shila or in other words a Black Fossil Stone.
See the Masinagudi route from ooty to Bandipur.
The road was excellent and ver smooth. I enjoyed the drive very much.
Gumbaz In Srirangapatinam:
Tipu Sultan, the tiger of Mysore, the great warrior who fought with the British empire, built Gumbaz in the midst of Lal Bagh, a beautiful garden. He built tombs for his father Hyder Ali and mother Fathima Begam (Fakr-Un-Nisa) in Gumbaz.
Place Statistics:
Type of Place: Mausoleum
Situated: Srirangapatna
Distance: 15 Km from Mysore
Transport: Well connected by road, can hire an autorikshaw from Srirangapatna
Timings: 8:00 a.m to 6:30 p.m
Mudumalai:
Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in the northwestern corner of Tamil Nadu at a distance of around 80 km from Coimbatore and 64 km from Udhagamandalam (also Ooty). It is also a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere reserve along with Bandipur National Park in Karnataka and Wynad Sanctuary in Kerala. Langur, bonnet macaque, tiger, leopard, wild dog, hyena, jackal, sloth bear, elephants, gaur, sambar, spotted deer, Indian muntjac, mouse deer, wild boar, rodent and flying squirrel are part of the wildlife in Mudumalai. It has a rich bird life that includes Malabar trogan, Grey hornbill, crested hawk eagle, crested serpent eagle, etc.The best time to visit the reserve is from February to June.
