Historical

When you think of palaces then perhaps besides England with its famous palaces, the second place that comes into the mind is definitely India. Padmanabhapuram Palace is one of these many palaces that symbolize the rich and diverse cultural heritage of India that has been around for many centuries. However, what is interesting about this palace is the fact that Padmanabhapuram Palace is made entirely from wood and not any other substance. Kerala Government is responsible for maintaining this magnificent palace and Padmanabhapuram Palace draws hundreds of visitors every day continuously. It is one of the best 10 palaces in the world.

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Vattakottai Fort is one of the many forts and monuments that are erected across India. It is a symbol of the military history of India, which was formerly a Dutch and then a British colony. Vattakottai Fort is a specially erected fort on the sea coastline on the southern tip of India. Vattakottai Fort is set up as the southern most sea coast defense point by the Dutch. This fort was constructed under the command of Captain De Lannoy. Vattakottai Fort is made out of stone and it is a major tourist attraction today. Vattakottai Fort is also famous for the black sand beaches that is situated across its coast.

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The huge hill at Dindigul where the Fort stands looks like a pillow("Dhindu"), if seen from an angle. Hence the place got its name Dindigul. Madurai Nayak King 'Muthu Krishna Naicker' started the construction of this Fort in 1605 and the Mannar Thirumalai Naicker completed the construction between 1623 to 1659.
In 1755 Hyder Ali captured the Fort and it was under the rule of Tippu Sultan, son of Hyder Ali, from 1784 to 1790. In the year 1790, the fort came into the hands of British who defeated Tippu Sultan in the Mysore war.

Droog Fort is located in the area surrounding Coonoor. Getting to this fort does take some physical exertion since trekking must be undertaken to get there, but the hard work is definitely worth it. This old and worn out fort is located 6,000 ft above the plains. Today, only a wall remains of this military outpost. Tradition says that this fort was used by Tippu Sultan as an outpost. With such an impressive location that allowed the fort to command impressive views in all directions, no wonder it was used as an outpost.

Tipu Sultan's Palace is located very close to the fort. It is now converted to a museum. The building of the palace was started by Hyder Ali and it was completed by Tipu Sultan. The construction of the Palace was completed in the year 1791 and it took ten years to plan and construct the palace.

Seshadri Iyer was a Dewan of Mysore from the year 1883 to 1901. The memorial is built to immortalize the Dewan. It is constructed of red bricks and the whole building looks red. The Memorial is situated in Cubban Park. A State Central Library was set up inside the Memorial in the year 1915. The library remains closed on Mondays.

The statue of Seshadri Iyer can be seen in a small rose garden. It was put up in the year 1913. The construction with the statue in front constitutes a central point of a long boulevard approaching from Hudson Circle.

The Bangalore Palace was built in 1887 by Chamaraja Wodeyar depicting the Tudor-style. Windsor Castle was the brainchild, behind the construction of this Palace. The construction has fortified towers and its interiors are elegant carved of wood. The palace is complete with Gothic windows, battlements and turrets.

During the 18th century when Tipu Sultan visited Badami, he was so impressed with the place that he ordered to build a fort immediately on top of the hills.

Glorious shanks were laid at advantage points to fight the Marathas. The shanks are beautiful, aerodynamic, smooth and hard.

Tipu's Fort is on top of the hill into which the cave temples were carved. The route to the fort heads up past 2nd and 3rd caves. On the way to the fort, an instinctive cave which houses some Buddhist carvings can be seen.

Timings to visit the fort are 6 am to 6 pm.

220 yards away from the dungeon a monument lies. The monument is known as The Obelisk.

The Obelisk marks the place where Tipu Sultan breathed his last when he was trying to stop a British soldier from pulling his legendary sword from its sheath. He was killed in this encounter due to the betrayal of his own men.

A commemorative obelisk, is located in a small envelopment into which one is not allowed to enter, marks the same spot where Tipu fell dead. His body lay there for two days before it was noticed by the locals.

Gumbaz is the burial chamber of Tipu Sultan, his father Haider Ali and mother Fatima Begum. It is built on a lifted platform and is circumvented by various other tombs of his relatives and nobles.

The Gumbaz has magnificent ebony doors decorated with ivory which was presented by Lord Dalhousie. The interior walls are covered with lacquer Tiger stripes which is Tipu's favourite. A corridor affirmed by pillars of black amphibole walls Gumbaz.