Srirangapatnam Fort

Srirangapatna is a historic town which was the former capital of the Wodeyar dynasty and later of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. Srirangapatna is actually an island formed by two arms of the river Kaveri which is considered as the Ganges of the South. It is town enclosed in a double-walled fortress which was first built in the 16th CE and later fortified in the 18th CE. This fort is surrounded by water on 3 sides and a moat dug around on one side. Srirangapatna has a string of attractions both for Indian as well as International visitors such as - the fort itself; Sriranganatha temple; Col. Bailey's dungeon; ruins of Tipu palace inside the fort; the impressive summer palace 'Daria Daulat Bagh' outside the fort; mausoleum of Tipu 'Gumbaz'; river ghats for bathing and rituals; the place where Tipu's dead body was found; Jami Masjid & its minarets; etc. A drive around the fort area and a visit to Tipu palace is suggested. Its a 45 minute drive from here to Somanathpur which is the next stop.

Mysore Sree Muthappa Kshetram

The Keshava temple at Somanthapur, 35 km from Mysore, is an extraordinary temple built in the 13th CE during the reign of the Hoysala dynasty. It is one among the top 3 temples among the 92 built by Hoysalas during their reign. The temple is built on a star-shaped platform with high quality sculptures all around. The most prominent features of this temple are-the highly symmetric & geometric lathe-turned pillars; 16 ceilings inside the temple with each one different but with a motif of banana flower; exquisite statues of Venugopala & Janardhana in 2 of the 3 sanctum sanctora; the highly intact & ornate vimanas; 480 elephants carved on the bottom level with each one different from the other; a galaxy of gods & goddesses; etc. It took 500 artists about 40 years to build this temple which was later vandalized by the marauding Mughals in the 14th CE. It stands abandoned from a ritualistic perspective but stands tall as an artistic achievement. Its a 1 hour drive from here to Mysore palace.