The Water Gate of Srirangapatna is a modest yet historically significant gateway in the northern wall of the island-fortress of Srirangapatna, Karnataka. Unlike the grand city gates of Delhi or the imposing Rumi Darwaza of Lucknow, this gate is plain and functional, meant primarily as an access point to the River Cauvery. From here, residents of the fort once drew water for their daily needs, and the structure includes small guard houses flanking the passage. Its quiet appearance belies its deep association with one of the most dramatic moments in South Indian history—the fall of Tipu Sultan, the “Tiger of Mysore.”
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| Water Gate,Srirangapatna timesofindia.com/ |
On 4 May 1799, during the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War, British troops under General George Harris and Colonel Arthur Wellesley stormed the fort after a fierce siege. Contemporary accounts suggest that soldiers may have gained entry near this gate, which was less fortified than other approaches. In the fierce fighting that ensued, Tipu Sultan, refusing to flee despite advice from his French military allies, fought until he was fatally wounded close to the Water Gate, near the eastern rampart. The spot thus became inextricably linked with the Sultan’s final stand and the end of Mysore’s resistance to British expansion. Tipu’s famous words, “Better to live one day as a tiger than a thousand years as a sheep,” reflect the spirit with which he defended his stronghold. When his body was discovered, he still wore a heavy gold ring inscribed with the name “Rama” in Devanagari, a symbol of his eclectic taste and personal treasures. That ring later passed into the hands of Wellesley’s family and was auctioned in London, a poignant reminder of the spoils of conquest. The Water Gate also stood near important landmarks—the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, the Lal Mahal Palace, and the Gangadhareswara Temple—highlighting the close coexistence of military and religious sites within the fort. Tipu, despite being a devout Muslim, showed respect for local traditions, never interfering with the temple’s rituals.
Above image: Tipu lying dead, Srirangapatna fort. Sir David Bairs discovering the body of Tipu Sultan ( 20 November 1750 – 4 May 1799); by sir David Wilkie; a steel engraving by John Burnet 1843...........
After the battle, his body was taken from near the gate and buried the next day in the Gumbaz, beside his father Hyder Ali. Archaeological evidence suggests that the northern sector around the gate also contained French-built bastions and defensive positions, reflecting Tipu’s alliance with France against the British. A nearby polygonal bastion with a turreted parapet, overlooking the Cauvery and bathing ghats, hints at the complex fortifications of the area. The Water Gate today is part of a fort that, though weathered by time, still retains vestiges of its once-formidable character—stone walls, moats, secret passages, and the ruins of palaces and armories.
Some reports indicate plans to preserve surviving features like the rocket launch platforms that made Tipu’s army famous for its pioneering use of iron-cased rockets in warfare. Visitors to the site can sense the layered history of a place where utilitarian architecture became the stage for a moment that changed the course of South Indian politics. The unassuming Water Gate remains a silent witness to the courage of a ruler who chose to defend his kingdom to the last, ensuring that this simple gateway occupies a permanent place in the chronicles of India’s resistance against colonial power.
https://navrangindia.blogspot.com/2017/09/watergate-at-srirangapatna-and-tipu.html
http://mysore.ind.in/water-gate
http://diksoochi.blogspot.in/2007/12/watergate-srirangapattana.htm
