Srirangapatna: Tipu Sultan’s Beautiful Summer Palace

Every wall narrates a story – bringing out scenes from the pages of history – sketched with great artistry of that time – the Dariya Daulat Palace is splashed with vivid paintings all around depicting Tipu Sultan’s army on battleground and their victories.

On the way to Mysore from Bangalore, lies this beautiful summer palace of Tipu Sultan. Situated on an island called Srirangapatna, “it was built in commemoration of his victory against the British in 1784 A.D” (as per the information board).

Surrounded by sweeping gardens, its one of the must-see historical monuments in Karnataka. Enroute to Mysore, it was a part of our recent visit to the city with family. Took the entry passes and climbed down the stairs which led to the lush green Dariya Daulat Bagh with lined trees, it presents a lovely picture. With my one year niece exploring the garden on her own, it was a little long for us before we stepped into the summer palace.

The open corridors around the palace are covered with green sheets to prevent the hot air & dust from entering the complex. And that is from where we began the palace tour and just as the Mysore Palace, no one was allowed to click pictures inside the premises. So we moved on after putting off our cameras and phones, while stopping to read the information boards which explained the significance of this palace, historical facts and the architectural details of the structure.

We walked through the painted corridors, leading us to the beautiful hall and the museum where historical memorabilia is on exhibit – Paintings, weapons, costumes, ornaments worn in those days are showcased alongside the beautiful wall frescoes. It was incredible to see such a wonderful piece of artwork of Indian history and to be able to enjoy it with my family made it so much better.

It doesn’t take much time to see the entire area, as only the main floor is open to public and there is no access to the upper floor. We spent sometime there before stepping out in the garden, a great place to relax. And from here, we left for our next destination.

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