14 kms. northeast of Mysore is Srirangapatnam, an island fortress and the capital of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. Tipu’s summer palace, Daria Daulat, has now been turned into a museum. Made of teak, this Indo-Saracenic structure has ornate and beautiful frescoes. The fort holds within it, a mosque and the Ranganatha Swamy Temple. A kilometer east of the fort is the Daria Daulat Bagh, the summer palace of Tipu Sultan built in 1784. It's adorned with ornate and beautiful frescoes and now houses a museum with a collection of family memorabilia and paintings depicting Tipu Sultan's campaigns against the British. Nearby is the Gumbaz, the onion-domed mausoleum of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan.

The history of Srirangapatnam is as old as the epic legends. It is believed that lord Rama, passed through Srirangapatnam. It is also said in the Puranas that sage Gowthama meditated at this sacred place and hence the place came to be known as Gowthama Kshetra. Early in the Christian era, the Satavahana dynasty and later the Pallavas, Kadamas and Gangas held sway over the place. Epigraphic evidences prove that Thirumalayya, a governor under a Ganga ruler, built the famous Ranganatha Temple in 894 and called the place Srirangapatnam. Later, it was under the control of Hoysala rulers. In the 16th century, Srirangapatnam became one of the provinces under the Vijayanagar kings. Under their rule, Ramaraya governed from Srirangapatnam. The political situation was changing fast in the neighbourhood with the Muslim and Maratha rulers becoming powerful. When the Mysore army invested Devanahalli in 1746, the young and brave officer - Hyder Ali Khan, rose to prominence, to play a great in Mysore politics in the subsequent years. With some weak rulers on the throne, Hyder grew in stature, posing a challenge to the British, taking the assistance of the French. Tippu succeeded Hyder and came to be described as the Tiger of Mysore. However, in the battle that was fought within the fort-walls of Srirangapatnam in 1799, the British Army killed Tippu. Thus Mysore came under the British rule. Subsequently, the capital was shifted to Mysore and the Wodeyars of Mysore, were replaced on throne.

Srirangapatnam or Srirangapattana is a small town, its monuments and forts silently telling the historic saga of Mysore and various dynasties of the past. Its name was derived from the Ranganatha Temple, a famous centre of Hindu pilgrimage. The Ranganatha Swamy temple represents a mixture of Hoysala and Vijayanagar styles of architecture. With a majestic tower, it is one of the biggest temples in the State. The temple was built over 1,000 years ago. The Vijayanagara king extended it in 1454 A.D. This was the base from where Hyder Ali and his son Tippu Sultan, who usurped power from the Mysore Maharajas, fought the British. This place was the capital of Hyder Ali. The historic town is a mute witness to the days of Chivalry and valour enacted there. As it still bears testimony to a tumultuous history, Srirangapatnam retains touching traces of both glory and misery, in its Fort, Gumbaz, Dungeon, Jumma Masjid, and Daria Daulat.

The variety offered by Srirangapatnam is rich and varied. The summer palace Dariya Daulath (meaning "wealth of the sea") with its ornate arches and ceiling, breath taking range of classical paintings, was Tippu’s favourite retreat, which now houses a museum with a fabulous collection of rare coins, paintings and personal belongings of Tippu. The remains of Tippu's beautiful palace, Lal Mahal, are visible even now in the high enclosures of the fort. The British, who used it for some time as a military post, after killing Tippu demolished the greater part of this palace. There are two dungeons, one at the northeast corner of the fort and the other, a bigger one, which is near the Ranganatha temple. It is said that Tippu had kept Dhondia Wagh, a Maratha warrior in the former and some British prisoners in the latter.

It is situated about 14 kms. northeast of Mysore.