Awe-inspiring Tipu Sultan and his Srirangapatna fort

Srirangapatnam Fort www.thehindu.com

One of the dungeons, Srirangapatnam fort. www.happytrips.com

Built  near to the holy river of  the Cauvery, Srirangapatnam Fort  is one of the  most significant  monuments in the state of  Karnataka. It is located in the town of  Srirangapatna  in Mandya district near the city of Mysore. The town has  religious, cultural and historic importance.  Sri Ranganatha Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu in Aananthasayanam posture is  also  a major tourist attraction of this area.
 
It is believed that the fort was built by a feudal lord Kempe Gowda in the year 1537 and is considered to be one of the toughest forts in India to defend the invading army. The fort has two-tiered rigid wall that can not be penetrated easily and can be accessed through four gates namely Delhi, Bangalore, Mysore and Water and Elephant gates. It is also called Tipu Sultan fort because he had his residence inside the fort, being safe from external raids from others rulers.

The  fort was  built using  Indo-Islamic style and  the Persian inscription on the gateway mentions its date of construction.  The fort has  two dungeons in the lower chambers. Thomas Inman's Dungeon was

Srirangapatna Fort.culturalsindia.blogspot.com

Tipu Sultan, the Tiger of Mysore. www.slideshare.net 

discovered in 1895 AD in the North Eastern comer of the fort, by an engineer called Thomas Inman. Hence this   dungeon carries his name. It was  mainly used to hold captive the Maratha invaders and other Indian prisoners  during Haider Ali and  Tlpu Sultan's rule.  It almost resembles  Colonel Bailey's dungeon and  measures 13.75 Mts. X 9.75 Meters.  With low arches made of  brick and mortar, they  are cleverly concealed in the undulating topography of the area. Colonel Bailey's Dungeon lies North of Ranganatha Swamy temple and is close to Lal Mahal Palace. Also referred to as Sultan Bateri, the oblong structure

Thomas Inman's
dungeon, Srirangapatnam fort. hinkingparticle.com

Colonel Bailey's dungeon. Srirangapatnam fort thinkingparticle.com

conceals the vaulted dungeon measuring 30.5 mts x 12.2 meters, made of  built in brick and mortar. The captives were chained to the stone slabs fixed on the East, North and West walls.
Tipu Sultan, son of Hyder Ali, like his father, was one of the most efficient rulers of India. During the British rule, the very mention of his name was anathema to the British who had nightmares about him. Having 

Cannon used by Tipu Sultan in the battle of Srirangaapatnaa 1799. en.wikipedia.org

captured many parts of India, the East India company was unable to penetrate part of Southern India because Tipu Sultan, who had an alliance with the French forces, set the road block for them. He was not only a courageous  warrior but also a man of wisdom. He got the nick name Tiger of Mysore because of his fierce fighting skills. 

Srirangapatna Fort, the spot where Tip was killed (1799).www.holidayiq.com

It was in this fort Tipu breathed his last (1799) in the final Angelo-Mysore war against the British army commanded by  General George Harris. He was betrayed by one of his own  confidants who became a squealer for the British.

The legend of Tipu Sultan not only lives on the ramparts of Srirangapatna fort, but also in the annals of British India history. Even after 200 plus years, his popularity has not yet diminished.

Ref:
http://mysore.ind.in/srirangapatna-fort