Ranganathaswamy Temple

Srirangapatna takes its name directly from this temple to Ranganatha, a reclining form of Vishnu, built on the island formed where the Kaveri splits into two channels. Tradition and inscriptional evidence place its origins as early as the Ganga dynasty around the ninth century, with substantial additions under the Hoysalas and later the Vijayanagara Empire — long before Tipu Sultan and Hyder Ali turned the same island into Mysore’s fortified capital.

The temple is the first in a chain of three major Ranganatha shrines along the Kaveri’s course — Srirangapatna, then Shivanasamudra downstream, and finally Srirangam in Tamil Nadu — a sequence pilgrims traditionally read as the river carrying the deity’s presence toward the sea. Its layered gopurams and pillared halls show contributions from several dynasties rather than one unified plan.

Getting there: The temple stands near the centre of Srirangapatna town, within walking distance of the post office and the ruins of Tipu Sultan’s fort.