Madikeri Fort / Madikeri Palace

Madikeri Fort was first built as a mud fort by Mudduraja at the end of 17th century. He also built a palace inside the fort. It was eventually rebuilt in granite by Tipu Sultan who later named the site as Jaffarabad.

The Madikeri fort had witnessed several fierce battles. In 1700, Doddavira Rajendra took control of the fort. The Palace was renovated by Lingarajendra Wodeyar II in 1812-1814.

The fort encompasses a church which houses the state archaeological museum, and in 1812, when the British took over the territory the fort, the palace and its apartments were all transformed into district offices. Two magnificent mortar elephant figures can also be seen inside the fort. The palace features a stone formation of a tortoise, which has initials of King Vijayarajendra engraved on it.

The palace is built in gothic style, and the church inside is known as the St. Mark’s Church which has been converted into a museum with historical artifacts, along with a section dedicated to Field Marshal Cariappa. Besides museum, this fort also houses a district prison, the Kote Mahaganapathi Temple and the Mahatma Gandhi Public Library.

source: http://www.folksden.com / Karnataka