Also known as the Mercara Fort, the Madikeri Fort is located in the hill station of Madikeri in the state of Karnataka. The fort was built in the second half of the 17th century by Mudduraja, who also constructed a palace inside the fort. The fort was later rebuilt and reconstructed in granite by Tipu Sultan and was one of the many forts of Tipu Sultan. He even named the site as Jaffarabad.
Over the centuries, the Madikeri Fort has changed hands. In 1790, Dodda Vir Rajendra took control of the fort. And in the later years in 1812 and 1834, the fort was restructured and renovated by Linga Rajendra II and the British respectively.
Design of Madikeri Fort
The Madikeri Fort is a unique fort that houses among other structures a temple, an Anglican church, a prison and a museum. Housing a church within the fort premises shows the dominance of the British rule. But after the Indian Independence, the church was closed and was taken over by the Government of Karnataka in 1971. The St. Marks Church was built by the British in 1855 by removing a temple of Virabhadra from the inner fort. It was built in the Gothic style with stained glass windows. Currently, the Madikeri Fort houses the Madikeri Fort Museum, managed by the Karnataka State Archaeological Department, which displays weaponry and other exhibits from the era of Mudduraja and Tipu Sultan.
Visiting Information on Madikeri Fort
The railway station at Hassan is the nearest at a distance of about 105 km from the fort and the Mysore Airport is the closest at about 132 km from the fort.
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