Daria Daulat Bagh: The Summer Palace of a Tiger

Soumyaroop Mukherjee

Daria Daulat Bagh: The Summer Palace of a Tiger

Tigers have been spotted in the forests, but the people of India were fortunate enough to have a tiger-hearted person from Karnataka who fought eye-to-eye with the British - Tipu Sultan. Daria Daulat Bagh is Tipu's summer palace.

The summer palace of Tipu Sultan within Daria Daulat Bagh, Source: Wikipedia

Upon entering the palace, visitors encounter two wings: the western and eastern wings, each with walls. The roofs of the recessed bays of the other two wings are supported by pillars.

The royal residence has four flights of stairs that lead to the four sections of the hindrances partitioning the crowd halls into four rooms arranged at the four corners of the castle, with a central lobby connecting the eastern and western entrances. This architectural design was likely inspired by the Quwat-ul-Islam Mosque in Delhi, which also had the same internal layout.

The palace is now an ASI-protected monument. The upper level of the palace has been converted into a museum. This palace houses the famous sword of Tipu, which he used during the Anglo-Mysore War and his last battle against the British. Additionally, the museum has a large and very important collection of Persian manuscripts. One of the museum's notable paintings is the 'Storming of Srirangapattam', an oil painting from 1800 that depicts the British victory.

Visiting this museum is like walking through history, with sound effects adding to the immersive experience. Tipu Sultan was one of the bravest kings of India, and walking the same pavements that he did at one point in history truly connects us to the glorious past of bygone eras.

Tipu's grand palace is built in the Indo-Saracenic style, which is also prevalent in European buildings. The palace is constructed on an elevated platform with a rectangular layout. Open passageways run the length of the platform's four sides and are supported by wooden pillars at its edges.

The idea of building a palace inside a pleasure garden is an old concept of the Mughals and Timurids. They often constructed their palaces and tombs inside Chaar Bagh or gardens, which represented jannat (heaven). We can only assume that Tipu Sultan also built his beautiful summer abode inside a garden that represented heaven.

The available spaces are adorned with frescoes in the style of Mysore canvases. The external walls showcase frescoes of fight scenes and images that convey the courage of the inhabitants. Inside, there are designs with delicate foliage and floral patterns at the center, which were influenced by Mughal artistry. The wooden roofs of the royal residence are covered with material painted with botanical patterns, taking inspiration from Mughal castles.

The western walls are adorned with paintings depicting Tipu Sultan's and Haider Ali's triumph in the Battle of Pollilur in 1780. When looking at the left wing, we can see the depiction of armies led by Haider Ali and Tipu themselves going into battle. The battle depicted is one in which the British wing, led by Colonel Bailee, was harassed and ultimately defeated. Bailee is shown seated in a palanquin. Another picture shows French commander Lally looking through a telescope.

Daria Daulat Bagh, also known as the Garden of the Sea of Wealth, is the summer palace of Tipu Sultan. It is located in the city of Srirangapatna, which was the capital city of Tipu Sultan, near Mysore in the Indian state of Karnataka. The palace is unique in many ways, one of which is that it is made entirely of teak wood. It is built on an island in the Kaveri River, about 14 km from Mysore. The main attraction of Daria Daulat Bagh is the summer palace of Tipu Sultan located inside.

Tipu Sultan was the son of a humble warrior named Haider Ali, who fearlessly fought with the British in the first Anglo-Mysore war. Tipu carried on this mantle of responsibility by fighting the British with equal ferocity on the battlefield. Due to his extraordinary bravery, Tipu was called the tiger of Mysore. He is credited with introducing rocket technology into warfare by combining it with cannons. Although small in size, Mysore was economically significant for its sandalwood, elephants, and silk. Despite this, the dynasty of great kings did not view Mysore as important.

Tipu Sultan is known for his fearless defence of Mysore and Srirangapatna, which he continued until his last breath, much like a tiger defending its territory. He can be compared to Richard the "lion -hearted" of Europe, who was famous for his exceptional valour and bravery on the battlefield.

He built this palace in 1784 and ruled Mysore from there for a brief period after his father Hyder Ali assumed power from the Wodeyars, another imperial power of Mysore, in the mid-18th century.