Madikeri Fort
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Madikeri Fort also called Mercara Fort is a fort in
Madikeri Madikeri is a hill station town in Madikeri taluk and headquarters of Kodagu district in Karnataka, India. Etymology Madikeri was known as ''Muddu Raja Keri'', which meant Mudduraja's town, was named after the prominent Haleri king Mudduraj ...
, in the Kodagu district of the Indian state of
Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
, first built by Mudduraja in the second half of the 17th century. Mudduraja also built the palace within the fort. It was rebuilt and restructured in granite by
Tipu Sultan Tipu Sultan (born Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu, 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799), also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery.Dalrymple, p. 243 He i ...
, and the site was then renamed Jaffarabad. Madikeri Fort is one of the many forts built or rebuilt by
Tipu Sultan Tipu Sultan (born Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu, 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799), also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery.Dalrymple, p. 243 He i ...
during his reign in the second half of the 18th century. In 1790, Dodda Vira Rajendra took control of the fort. The palace underwent renovations by Linga Rajendra II from 1812-1814. The British made additions to the fort in 1834. Notable structures in the fort include two stone statues of elephants at the northeast entry and a church in the southeast corner. ] Today, the Madikeri Deputy Commissioner's Office is housed in the palace building, while St. Mark's Church, Mercara, St. Mark's Church houses the Madikeri Fort Museum, managed by the Karnataka State Archaeological Department. The museum has exhibits which display artifacts and weaponry from the time between the fort's construction and British rule. The museum also has a large portrait of Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa. The church was constructed in 1859 by soldiers of the
East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and South ...
, with funding from the Madras Presidency. The church was administered by the Madras Diocese of the
Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...
, but was closed after Indian independence, and taken over by the
Government of Karnataka The Government of Karnataka, abbreviated as, GoK, or simply Karnataka Government, is a democratically-elected state body with the governor as the ceremonial head to govern the Southwest Indian state of Karnataka. The governor who is appointed ...
in 1971.


Gallery

File:Museum Madikeri.jpg, Archeological Museum, Madikeri Fort, India Image:Stone turtle inside the palace.jpg, Stone turtle inside the palace Image:Madikeri palace-within the fort.jpg, Madikeri palace-within the fort Image:View from the fort wall.jpg, View from the fort wall Image:Ancient inscriptions inside the fort.jpg, Hero Stones Image:Masonry Elephants.jpg, Masonry Elephants


References

{{Reflist Forts in Karnataka Tourist attractions in Kodagu district Buildings and structures in Kodagu district